Adelaie - Running For The Ocean

For the sake of open and honesty disclosure, you should all know that I know one of the guys who produced this album. You should also know that, even though I told him that it would be worth it to give me a copy of his company's first EP, Running For The Ocean, he made me pay for it, which, I hope, increases the credibility of what I'm going to say about it.

Adelaie is essentially London singer-songwriter Brock Larocque with the support of a full band. Having only heard his name, but never his music, I had no idea what to expect. Considering the production company, Prevail Music's logo is a punching fist, I was pretty surprised by how poppy it is. I was pleased to hear that Larocque has a consistent capable voice, but with all the sheer amount of "I love you girl, oh baby, baby, baby" kind of lyrics was shocking. The more I listened, the more I felt like I was listening to someone who sincerely feels what he feels, but hasn't quite learned how to express the complexities of those emotions.

When I less than tactfully asked my buddy who wrote the songs, I realized that there was a simple reason I wasn't falling in love with the music: I wasn't written for me to listen to. Not being, nor never being a 12-year-old girl put me at a serious disadvantage when listening to Running For The Ocean. When you hear Brock sing that "you're the only reason that I want to see the stars tonight," your teenage bosom is supposed to heave with confused, hormonal adoration. And, as far as I can tell, if I did belong to that demographic, it would. Prevail Music and Adelaie have certainly nailed down the pop tropes, the catchy hooks, and the memorable lyrics. Every overwrought yearning tune is specifically crafted for a particular audience, who, in the era of Bieber-mania are a brilliant group to capitalize on for a first release.

I may not love what I heard, but I was never supposed to.

But, if you don't believe me, check out Adelaie's MySpace. If you don't love it, play it for your daughter, and you'll understand that Prevail Music knows exactly what it's doing.