KEEP IT LIGHT

Making this record was a joy says Steven Adams of his latest album with his band the French Drops. This time I kept saying to myself keep it light whenever I was making decisions. The buoyant and relaxed mood can be heard across the album in its gloriously skipping tones as it traverses across indie pop alt-rock and more tender acoustic and folk-leaning moments. It s a craft that Adams has been honing for years as the lead figure in outfits such as The Broken Family Band and Singing Adams. The feelings of serenity and solace he experienced whilst writing the songs themselves carried over into the final product. I wanted to make a super personal light-hearted and upbeat record he says. I wanted to do the whole write about what you know thing and keep it as light as possible. The lightness of the album was a guiding principle but Making this record was a joy says Steven Adams of his latest album with his band the French Drops. He even let the positive mood around the making of it influence it s title. I love making records but sometimes time money or people including me - f* up my enjoyment of the process. So this time I kept saying to myself keep it light whenever I was making decisions. This buoyant and relaxed mood can be heard across the album in it s gloriously skipping tones as it traverses across indie pop alt-rock and more tender acoustic and folk-leaning moments. It s a craft that Adams has been honing for years as the lead figure in outfits such as The Broken Family Band and Singing Adams so much so that by now it oozes out of him with a seamless grace. Adams aim was clear with this record. I wanted to make a super personal light-hearted and upbeat record he says. I wanted to do the whole write about what you know thing and keep it as light as possible. The lightness of the album was a guiding principle but it wasn t a rule set in stone as Adams soon found out the deeper he plunged into himself. We had a running joke about how we were making an album called Keep it Light that is full of songs about racists and panic attacks and existential angst he says. But it does you good to get that stuff out. Writing songs and making records keeps me sane. The album is one as full of joy and beauty as it is ink black humor and caustic revelation. On the gorgeous shuffle of Oh Dear - recalling the kind of stripped back beauty of Yo La Tengo at their finest adams sings: and true love will not find you in the end. A knowing nod and a wink to Daniel Johnston s earnest refrain that indeed true love will find you in the end. It s such moments that fill the album with equal parts weight and lightness a smart touch delivered with a deft hand. This is the first record I ve made with the band all playing in one room getting everything down at once he says. We played live with all of us on the floor and it came together really quickly. But we still gave ourselves time to experiment and do fun stuff all over it. This combination of allowing things to be light not overstressing the harmony of the group and the seamless knack of Adams songwriting has resulted in a truly special record.