Adulkt Life There is No Desire LP
Excellent LP from this London band featuring Chris Rowley of HUGGY BEAR on vocals. There is a lived-in world-weariness to this music, a pull between remaining relevant and revolutionary amid a life of overabundance, as evidenced in opening track “Relationship Studies”: “And I see everything on these streets / I suffer from too much to eat.” Mid-tempo, chilly post-punk bass lines meet thick power chords on tracks like “Liberation Tags.” Pulsing with punk energy, the song edges into heavy alt/rock like HUM, with guitars that deliver both crunching crush and beautiful chiming textures. “4:33” is another standout that gallops for the first half before spacing into a swirling psych slow-down that fades into a field recording of bustling, honking street life. Rowley’s vocals sound like an exhausted exhale of frustration that matches the lyrics and downtrodden vibes. “Art of Boxing” suggests a person fed up with the drag of modern life and its constant churning change: “These kids got no boundaries / ‘Cause their folks got no boundaries / It’s not the same around here like it used to be.” It evokes a disconnect with the kids as well as an ironic throwback to the previous generation who undoubtedly said the exact same thing. The cycle continues—youth is a thrill until it’s over and the new crop gets under your skin. This focus on aging and growing makes so much more sense to me than the wallet-chain bands who sing about skateboarding and breakups well past middle age. ADULKT LIFE is vital grown-up punk that is highly recommended.