Adequate Seven are a band that use to often get misplaced in the bracket of ‘Skacore’, however their sound has always been far more than this in truth and bridges the divide between Funk and Hardcore, fusing the two in order to produce their own unique brand of music. I feel the band have always been at their best when they show off their more Hardcore side, however the band do this less on their second album ‘Here On Earth’ in favour of exploring their funkier nature.
The album kicks off with last years catchy single ‘Splitting Up’ which was released to critical acclaim last August, gaining the band extensive Radio 1 airplay. I feel that this is probably one of the strongest tracks on the album as it is extremely catchy, showing the bands ability to pen a catchy song that will get stuck in your head for months to come. From here the band move on to track ‘Head Up High’ which some of you may have heard on the bands My Space account – it is another catchy track with a powerful chorus, with the horn section here being used perfectly and really complimenting the bands sound. From here the band move on to ‘Now It’s Time’, and it really feels as if the band have put the albums catchy tracks first in order to forefront them from the rest of the album. From these three catchy tracks the band move through a number of tracks ranging from the hard edged all out hardcore sound of old which is present on ‘King Leopold’s Ghost’ to the funk dual male and female vocal led ‘Like It Or Not.’
Much like they did with ‘No Space’ on the ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ album, the band have chosen to re-record ‘Gotta Stay Focussed’ for this album. It’s a fairly decent song, and had you not heard the original version you’d probably say that it was one of, if not the strongest track on the album, however I feel that in re-recording it, the band have lost some of the edge that it had originally, and by changing the emphasis have given this one a different feel about it. At first I was horrified by what the band had done with this one, however after repeated listens the track has grown on me, although I still prefer the original version and feel that this one lacks the bite of the original.
There are some great tracks on display here, with the hard edged ‘King Leopold’s Ghost’ really having a lasting effect on me. I can’t get this one out of my head – it really is an amazing track. Adequate Seven are a band that never ceases to amaze me, and what with the gang vocals on display here, fiery guitars, strong drum beats, and killer choruses – this track does nothing but further my love of the band. Another of my favourites on this album has to be the epic closer ‘Pimpin’ The Funk Draining The Blood’ which rounds the CD off nicely and really ends the album on a high leaving you craving for more.
All in all this is a pretty decent return from the band, and had it not been for my high expectations of this album then I probably would have been more impressed by it. I’ve always been a massive fan of the band, but I feel that where the band truly comes alive is on the gigging circuit. They never fail to impress live and are always full of energy, even on the not so hard hitting of their tracks they always seem to be raw and brimming with energy and exuberance. If you’ve never heard this band before then check this album out – it’s well worth your time as it’s a good offering of Funk, Punk, and Hardcore – blending them all to form the end product which is ‘Here On Earth.’
Released: 19th June 2006
Label: Breaking World Records
Rating:
UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
