Adult Karate’s debut EP shows a lot of promise. It offers nothing revolutionary, but is a genuinely interesting and enjoyable listen. It’s a cool mixture of carefully composed electronic sounds, including some scary vibes and sampling. Not nearly as powerful in that regard as, say, The Flaming Lips’ The Terror, but enough to draw a comparison. The vocals are soft, smooth, and meaningful, but don’t stop the beat from getting intense. Also of note, one track sounds a bit like a dark variation on something from the soundtrack to the computer game SimCity 4. That might not sound like a complement, but hey, that music won some awards and was pretty catchy.
It might be worth mentioning that this is an EP, but it’s still 42 minutes long, since most tracks are over 7 minutes. This doesn’t have to be a big problem, though one could start to get tired of a given theme before the song is over. The most conventionally radio-compatible track is the last, “So Low (feat. Adaline).” Fortunately, it is also the best. One could guess that on an EP like this, the one track that’s shorter than the rest and has a featured vocalist is the one meant to appeal the widest audience. “So Low” is a satisfying conclusion, leaving behind all the fear and leaving the listener with some optimism.
Recommended If You Like: The Flaming Lips’ The Terror, K.C. Maloney
Recommended Tracks: 6 (So Low), 4 (Joyride), 1 (LXII), 5 (Murderer)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Joe Underwood on 10/13/2016
