Andrew Cream – Adapt & Adjust

Manchester songwriter Andrew Cream debuts his first solo effort in the form of the four-song EP, Adapt & Adjust.  Drawing upon a style that fits somewhere between the acoustic world of Chris McCaughan (Sundowner) and folk-punk troubadour Frank Turner, Cream aspires to connect with listeners on an intimate level.  His potential as a soloist artist comes across strong in spirit, but is not immune to some glaring rookie mistakes.

Andrew’s biggest strength is undoubtedly his instrumental delivery.  His acoustic performance brims with confidence as he strums meaningfully on every chord.  The decision to pace the delivery of various musical flourishes showcases a welcome maturity that extends the EP beyond its brief run.  Take the purely guitar centered “Leaving It Behind” for instance; lacking any additional percussion, Andrew Creamprovides a sense of vacancy and desolation clearly distancing the song from the rattling drum beats of neighbour “It’s My Day” and sorrowed violin streaks defining “Step Outside.”  Combined with a tuneful delivery, Adapt & Adjust plays as a very easy listen.

Unfortunately the album also plays it very safe, particularly in the lyric department.  The take away message is one of overcoming and embracing change.  “Leaving It Behind” encourages overcoming a past relationship, but suffers from vague delivery with few specifics outside of the general scenario.  With nothing memorable to latch onto, listeners are left asking, “so what,” unsure as to if Cream is hunting for empathy or moral lesson.  “It’s My Day” trumpets moving on and up, but is light on details.  Instrumental to Frank Turner’s success has been anecdotes that speak to life’s shared experiences (“Photosynthesis” became a fan favourite for a reason).  With few specifics, Andrew Cream misses out on many opportunities to bond with his audience.

For an album about taking risks, Andrew Cream takes very few.  The songs are pleasant enough to follow along with, but offer little incentive to revisit them for much beyond their pleasant melody.  That’s not to downplay that Adapt & Adjust is a very promising EP from a talented solo artist.  Hopefully with time and experience Andrew Cream will reach his audience the way his talent suggests.