In a world of quick hits and sonic fashion statements, bite-size singles and low-brow lyricism, Adrian John Szozda reminds us of the art of the singer-songwriter. Not the high-school troubadour with his skinny jeans, wide-brimmed hat and complicated hair, but the old school artist, the storyteller, sonic magician and weaver of captivating narratives.
The Life of Someone I Used To Know is a tale of love and intrigue, of romance and reservation, of vulnerability and unconditional emotion. The title track which leads us in is a gorgeous acoustic number, broadened by layered guitars and chiming motifs, Barefoot in The Rain is shot through with supple and subtle fiddles and oozes with Dylan-esque charm, and There Was A Time is a wonderful waltz through the country-folk territory.
The art of telling a good story is to keep the listener engaged. This album does more than that, it makes you want to dance and sway, it holds you spellbound and charmed, it makes you care for the characters and wonder what happens to them even after the last notes fade. And that is taking such an art beyond the everyday and into the realms of the extraordinary.
[…] this time last year, I was revelling in Szozda’s track The Life of Someone I Used To Know and was bowled away by his cross-genre, singer-songwriter chops. Well, now we have a whole […]