Prime Emotion by Adult World
If you’ve been paying attention to Atlanta indie rock in the last decade, Nathaniel Higgins isn’t a new name to you. But, if you’re not an old head, here’s a little background (explained in the least complicated way I can muster): Nathaniel Higgins formed indie rock band Carnivores in 2009 with Philip Frobos and (now wife) Caitlin Higgins. Carnivores had a successful run, releasing 3 full-length albums and touring with Black Lips, Atlas Sound, and Franz Ferdinand through 2013. By 2015, Frobos formed Omni with former Balkans frontman Frankie Broyles. Higgins would go on to record all of Omni’s LPs to date, and form the band Rated Age with his wife Caitlin. Somewhere along the way, Nathaniel began recording solo work under the name Adult World, quietly releasing half a dozen albums since 2017. Whew! Now we are all caught up.
Adult World’s latest album, Final Cut, fits amongst the peripheral projects of his aforementioned longtime collaborators, and finds him more experienced and refined. “Prime Emotion” particularly marks Higgins’ transition to prioritizing traditional pop songwriting as he tackles one of pop music’s favorite urban legends. Rumor has it that Phil Collins’ iconic 1980 hit “In the Air Tonight” is about Collins watching from afar as a man watched another man drown. Adult World uses “Prime Emotion” to ask some burning ethical and logistical questions: How apathetic do you have to be to let someone drown? How do you live with that experience? Was the water even really that deep? But don’t worry. It turns out “In the Air Tonight” is about Phil Collins’ divorce. Not as dramatic, but at least there’s no casualties. — Autumn James
Seconds by klark sound
There’s a common issue amongst virtuosos: once a musician becomes so proficient at their craft, they are almost forced to play increasingly complex music to stay stimulated. Unfortunately, incredibly dense and difficult music rarely makes for songs that are actually enjoyable to listen to. However, klark sound has become an expert at creating elaborate compositions that are continually inviting on his album Artifactory. “Seconds\’\’ is intricate and technical, but never alienates the listener. This is largely due to klark sound’s uniquely soft, even-keeled vocal tonality he uses to build rich harmonies that temper the more complicated instrumentation. “Seconds” is an exercise in balancing calmness and complexity. — Autumn James
