Adventures
Supersonic Home

The story I'm about to tell you could be a musical version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". In fact, it might be more accurate to say that the story I'll tell you is the reverse version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". But let's proceed in order.

A few years ago, a quartet of barely adult kids with a passion for music formed in Pittsburgh. A mean and violent quartet, the Code Orange Kids. Noticed by Jacob Bannon, they released their first two albums ("Love is Love//Return to Dust" in 2012 and "I Am King" in 2014) under the aegis of Deathwish Inc., a label specializing in decidedly heavy and mean hardcore music. This would be the birth of Mr. Hyde, the birth of a powerful and extreme creature that made itself known and received good reviews from both audiences and music journalists around the world.

Last February, a bit quietly, a second creature emerged from hiding, decidedly less violent and less extreme. Dr. Jekyll showed his appearance under the name of Adventures, a band formed by three-quarters of Code Orange. Within the debut album "Supersonic Home" (released by Run For Cover) there is everything that doesn't exist in Code Orange. There are no screams, there are no heavy metalcore guitars. Instead, there are ten delightful tracks, light and melodic, clean and serene. A turnaround, a complete change for Reba Meyers, Jami Morgan, and Joe Goldman. An immersion into '90s emo, into the quick-grab indie melodiesof the early 2000s. Reba's voice, completely devoid of the "scream/growl" of Code Orange, stands out for clarity and brilliance. The music, while not inventing anything new, sticks in your head and doesn't let go.

"Heavenly" is a clear example of the freshness of the entire album. Reba alternates with the second female voice of Adventures (that of the very young Kimi Hanauer) and the calm but irresistible punk-rock sounds do the rest. Everything is extremely catchy, yet carefully avoids falling into the trap of banality.

Adding depth to the album are the very personal lyrics that make the listening experience of each track emotional. "Your Sweetness" is intense and brings out the adolescent melancholy we miss so much. Melodic strength and sincere emotions provide depth and beauty to all ten tracks. Tracks like "Pure" and "Tension" are great concentrates of carefree youth, of the desire to be free and devoid of any problem and stress.

This album by Adventures is a fresh breath of air, fitting into the emo revival cauldron of recent years alongside great bands like Empire! Empire (I Was a Lonely Estate), The Hotelier, Joyce Manor, and Tigers Jaw. An emo wave not to be underestimated, which does have a surplus of bands, but also offers many interesting gems.

Adventures have managed to craft an effective debut album that helps us rediscover that healthy innocence and distant adolescence that each of us longs for or remembers with nostalgia. Supersonic Home is half an hour of sincere music, unpretentious and capable of stimulating our day. Dr. Jekyll has hit the mark this time, and (in my personal opinion) has convinced much more than his mean version.