Adam McInnis

It’s the reason that we do what we do. Every week tons of music sweeps across the desks of editors and reviewers everywhere and, for the most part, things are fairly uninspiring. Sound-alikes, copycats, and more of the same plague so much of the musical spectrum these days. So it’s wonderfully refreshing to slip in the next disc and have our ears perk up, our eyes opened, and our hearts engaged. Such was the case for this reviewer with Adam McInnis’ debut album, Wherever You Are.

The product of a multicultural family, McInnis’ music reflects the diversity of growing up with a rambling set of influences. The album finds itself stretching the boundaries of soul, rock, folk, and more. And while it would be easy to categorize the artist as, say, a clone of Seal or Peter Gabriel, a closer listen reveals that there’s far much more beyond the obvious comparisons.

Opening up with the title track, the stage is set. “Wherever You Are” stands as a solid opening paragraph to the unfolding essay, offering up a nice summary of the artist’s heart as he sings, “I wanna be wherever you are / Wearing a sign on my chest / So everybody knows I’m yours.” Set over against an acoustic guitar backdrop that builds, allowing McInnis’ voice to shine and opening things nicely.

From that point on, it’s a wonderful gumbo of sonic flavors. “Beautiful Glow” channels rocks and soul while “More Than Meets the Eye” is a rocking toe-tapper with it’s cry for a revolution of truth and love. “Take These Wings” shifts things up that much more with a rocking blues harmonica opening and McInnis’ passionate vocal delivery leading the charge.

Speaking of vocals, for me, one of the hallmarks of a great artist is how they perform over and against a single instrument, be it piano or guitar. McInnis offers up his acoustic take here with “Too Much Beauty.” With minimal distraction, the song showcases the artist’s talent both musically and vocally, and really stand out as a highlight as he sings out:

“So make me gentle make me pure
Make me something to live for
More for god and more for life
More than single stars or stripes
Make me nervous and naïve
Towards a love that I don’t see cause seems to me
That I’ve been stranded in the somewhere in between.”

Yet, all is not acoustic wonder here. McInnis emotes 70’s style soul on “Say A Little Prayer” and takes things into danceable rock with “I’m the One,” evoking thoughts of Genesis. “Forever Love” brings a radio-friendly rock nuance to the table while “Since I Spoke Your Name” cools things down with an insightful lyric and subtle duet.

Adam McInnis is one to watch. With passion, intelligence, introspection, and a keen ear for a single-friendly hook, this artist should go far. While Wherever You Are won’t be his best album, it’s certainly one of the best I’ve heard this year.

Tagged as: Adam McInnis, Wherever You Are

↓ 5 comments

#1 Matt Conner on September 15th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

andrew, we couldn’t have disagreed more over this album.

#2 Andrew Greenhalgh on September 15th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

That’s okay..It’s not the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last…:)

#3 Tom G. on September 15th, 2008 at 6:18 pm

I think the review is spot on! True, it’s a diverse sounding album but great songwriting and Adam’s brilliant vocals connect the songs into a singular body of work. I’ve seen Adam live and the songs sound just as good on stage as they do on disc.

#4 John Wofford on September 15th, 2008 at 7:06 pm

I’ll pay cash to see Andrew and Matt duke it out over a difference in musical tastes!

[Of course, they never will, being the standup gentlemen that they are, but still, one can always dream.]

#5 Lucy Bustamante on September 18th, 2008 at 1:58 pm

Great review Andrew! I couldn’t agree more! I have also seen Adam perform live and it is breath-taking to say the least! Every opportunity I have to see him perform live, I take. There’s no doubt that Adam will go far in the music industry…and well deserving of it too!

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