Adorn is a Dallas, Texas-based five-piece rock band. With their melodic approach to their overall sound, they have created a sound that takes hard rock and elements of occasionally harsh vocals and beautifully done instrumentals and turns it into something new and refreshing. With dramatic vocals and compositions that make you feel each feeling they want you to as they want you to feel it, Adorn has a talent for writing music you cannot help but get emotional to.
Last year, the band opened for Saosin at the Trees venue in Dallas, Texas, gaining popularity in the DFW area. The band is taking that momentum and investing it correctly with the release of their most recent single, "Pass the Pulse," a song from their upcoming album "Let Love Remain," which comes out in April of this year and is challenging the audience to reunite and set aside our differences.
The "Let Love Remain" album begins with an intro piece with the same name as the album itself, which blends perfectly into the next track, "The Brave and Bled Defiant," making it feel like one continuous piece. The piano at the beginning is beautifully slow, creating a subtle duality with the transition into the next song, which is much harder and mixes in slight harsh vocals at points while harmonizing with the instruments at others. It's a smooth slide into the second song, making it easy to enjoy the album's architecture.
"The End Is Not Yet" is actually a recording of a news update or recap about Hiroshima that uses the line, "The end is not yet," and they added soft instrumentals and the off-handed haunting vocals in the background. However, another beautiful transition is at the end of this song, as the guitar continues on to the next track, "Paper Cranes."
This whole album is a masterpiece, both emotionally and sonically, if you ask me. From their well-refined sound to their ability to make their songs feel so immersive, their genius talent for album and song structures carries you fluidly from song to song without leaving you time to feel anything else in between. This band has built itself a type of sound that will leave you feeling empty once it's over and itching to hit repeat on its music.
The songs "The Brave and The Defiant," "Paper Cranes," and "Zero Hour" have to be my favorites. The first two strike a note emotionally, and their composition is all-around remarkable! Whereas "Zero Hour" is still emotional, I love that the vocals at the beginning of the song take on a very Deftones vibe before returning to their original style. It's a deliberate choice that, I feel, adds an extra touch to the song and helps showcase the abilities of the band's creative and technical skills even more.
In the current political climate, I also think bands like Adorn are critical to have on the scene. They remind us that we are human and we're all supposed to be in this together, without it feeling performative or disingenuous. They challenge our thought processes and give us a new look at how we see other people. Someone who grew up on political punk from all over, I always appreciate a band that challenges their community and audiences to fight back with unity, even when it feels like we'll always be divided into two parties and pitted against each other.
This, being their first full album, is actually amazing for such a green and growing band still! With two singles out before the "Let Love Remain" album, this small DFW band is making their way up in the scene, and I love to see it. I think they only have to go up from here!
Meet the Band:
Austin Gordon - Vocals
Kalen Orr - Guitarist
Eric Jones - Guitarist
Logan Gavaldon - Bassist
Ray Rose - Drummer
