Kyle Adem is a tireless storyteller with a whole lot of questions who marries his own blend of orchestral and reflective folk, with a punk edginess.

Taster track Brother Follow from upcoming album, Armour has that all too rare skill of sounding instantly recognisable – as though you know the song already, even if it is the very first listen. It is like coming home to an old friend, listening to something that you know will be around for a long time to come as it deals with the age old themes of love, hope and suffering.

Maybe it is the echoes of the Cave Singers in the opening, the Mountain Goats in the storytelling, the Decemberists in the early vocal stages and even Loch Lomond towards the end. Yet despite these references, the song remains clearly, confidently and wholly Adem’s story alone as he sings:

So our sisters became whores,
and our brothers savage carnivores,
devouring the bodies of our fathers

Even after putting six studio albums and his old moniker, 4:thirtyseven, behind him Adem’s journey has not always been an easy one. It started in Syracuse, NY, where he began writing songs at 16, in between bible studies and bouts of depression. His approach to music is both a homage to the confusion and beauty in coming of age, but also a communal experience for everyone to enjoy.

Despite Adem’s own search for meaning, he writes songs to resonate, move and connect with others. With Armour he has succeeded on all counts.

The album is due out on July 24th via Ghost Motel Records.

Download Kyle Adem – Brother Follow mp3 (from Armour)

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