One Adam One is a vehicle for Adam Reichmann’s singing and songwriting. Where Do I Begin is an EP of five mostly sad sounding songs. Reichmann just has a way of capturing and holding your attention with his music.
These songs likely best fall under the category of Americana music. There is a folksy, singer-songwriter feel to all these tracks that may remind you of Red House Painters. “Living Between the Lines” begins with Reichmann announcing, “It’s a messed-up world/We’re just living in it.” These are two simple lines, but they likely speak for most of us. You don’t have to watch the nightly news long to realize just how much our world is messed up. Of course, the news isn’t (and has never been) about good news. No, bad news is what sells, which is sad, but nevertheless, true. We’re responsible for our own little part of the world – how we relate to friends, family and coworkers – but the environmental, political and social issues that plague the planet, well, there are others much higher up on the food chain mostly responsible for all that. Reichmann sings this one with a woebegone voice, over an insistent electric guitar riff and muffled drums. There are even wordless backing vocals in the mix. It sounds a little like the Eagles on downers.
The next one, “Hollywood Ending,” however, fights against predictable behavior. A Hollywood ending can best be described as the way almost every sitcom winds up with everybody laughing and doing mostly okay. Unfortunately, none of us live in any sitcom world. For most of us, life is messy, filled with failed attempts to fly and a whole lot of unfinished business. In truth, I’ll bet many would quickly settle for a Hollywood ending, if this were to mean a lot less overall drama. However, this is, at the end of the day, Reichmann’s song and story.
By the way, if Reichmann were one of the Eagles, he’d most likely be Don Henley. For instance, “Cold Murmurs” has the atmospheric feel of Henley’s hit, “Boys of Summer.” Reichmann also has a sort of philosophical approach to writing his songs, which many times mirrors the way Henley does things.
The project finishes with one titled “Platte River,” which finds Reichmann describing the state of Nebraska. The track includes organ and ‘sha-la-la’ backing vocals. It sounds like a description of a region that many on the left and right coasts haven’t fully experienced. Some have referred to this state (and many others surrounding it) as a ‘fly over.’ You know, the ones only ever seen from the small window or a jet plane, rather than actually walking through or driving around it. It’s difficult to decipher if Reichmann loves or hates this place. It’s just home, of sorts, one guesses.
The album’s first song is also its title track. It’s performed simply over an acoustic guitar groove. This time, Reichmann sings about being “stranded in Boston,” rather than situated in Nebraska. All in all, though, Adam Reichmann seems more like a rural Nebraska guy than any urban Boston citizen. These honest and compelling songs with stick with you, though, no matter where you call home.
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-Dan MacIntosh
