Crowley, Adrian - Dark Eyed Messenger (CD) |-

Adrian's eighth album (and fourth for Chemikal), Dark Eyed Messenger comprises 11 songs crowned with his mahoganied baritone yet untouched by the instrument with which he is most associated, guitar. This is just one of many surprising yet bewitching results of the albumâ''s stress-free birth at the hands of American producer and musician Thomas Bartlett, aka Doveman (Sufjan Stevens, Martha Wainwright, The Magnetic Fields). "Thomas said he had a potentially controversial suggestion," Adrian recalls. "He asked how Iâ''d Adrian's eighth album (and fourth for Chemikal), Dark Eyed Messenger comprises 11 songs crowned with his mahoganied baritone yet untouched by the instrument with which he is most associated, guitar. This is just one of many surprising yet bewitching results of the albumâ''s stress-free birth at the hands of American producer and musician Thomas Bartlett, aka Doveman (Sufjan Stevens, Martha Wainwright, The Magnetic Fields). "Thomas said he had a potentially controversial suggestion," Adrian recalls. "He asked how Iâ''d feel about having no guitar on the album. I jumped at the idea. The notion of showing up and just singing appealed to me very much." Recorded over four days in May 2016 in Bartlettâ''s New York studio, the record not only captures Crowley at the apex of his songwriting powers but also the creative lava that can flow when two perfectly aligned musical minds come together. "Thomasâ''s instinct and my vision seemed to work in synergy," says Crowley. "It was moving to see him conjure these spectral sounds seemingly out of the air between us." feel about having no guitar on the album. I jumped at the idea. The notion of showing up and just singing

• Format Detail: CD
• Format: CD
• Label: Chemikal Underground
• Catalog Number: CD-CHEM-249