Adem - Takes

by Charlotte Otter

Covers album breathes life into old songs

"Aphex Twin's ‘To Cure a Weakling Child/Boy Girl Song’ acquires an unexpectedly light, uplifting character with an almost dreamlike quality."

Nu-folk philosopher Adem takes time out from the space metaphors and cosmic speculations of 2006's ‘Love and Other Planets’ to offer covers of some of his favourite songs from the Nineties – picking 12 of the less obvious gems from indie rock stalwarts to produce an exceptional covers album, tailor-made for the Pitchfork generation.

On an instrumental palette based on harmonium, guitar, glockenspiel and banjo-ukulele, Adem Ilhan lovingly picks at the bones of tracks from the likes of Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins, Tortoise and PJ Harvey, adding his own layers of acoustic instrumentation and vocal harmonies.

Admittedly, the end results suit some tracks better than others: the parched emotional terrain of PJ Harvey's ‘Oh My Lover’ is rendered with subtlety and warmth, and the lonely plaint of Smashing Pumpkins' ‘Starla’ comes via a repeatedly rising mess of guitars, bells, bass and percussion that doesn't overpower the listener. However, the most startling transformation is Aphex Twin's ‘To Cure a Weakling Child/Boy Girl Song’, which acquires an unexpectedly light, uplifting character with an almost dreamlike quality.

Adem survives the release of this covers album with his reputation not only intact, but massively enhanced and from start to finish, ‘Takes’ is a hugely rewarding listen.

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