It's safe to say that Adventures are the Bruce Banner to the Hulk known as Code Orange. After a couple of delectable teases, they finally drop their debut LP and as hinted at by their past EPs, Supersonic Home is indeed an ode not only to '90s rock addicts, but to modern indie fans as well. From emo blueprints to alternative melodies, there's quite a bit happening sonically. However, it's no major issue and there are few complaints really, as they all meld well to all help distinguish Adventures from their contemporaries.
After falling in love with "Like Seed" a few years ago, what drew me further to the band was how well they did a 180 from Code Orange and transposed something quieter and self-reflective into Adventures. The duality's a big selling point to me as I'm a huge fan of both. "Heavenly" and "Your Sweetness" channel a lot of what best describes this unprecedented shift from Code Orange to Adventures. Both jog you under the strength of an expansive vocal set that'll no doubt separate this band from the fray. Reba Meyers and Kimi Hanauer have a powerful interplay on the mic and their dynamic amid twisting guitars makes for amazing storytelling. The gorgeously intertwining vocals don't immediately jump out at you but once the vulnerability sets in, you're hooked. These tracks are highly inviting and while Adventures don't boast the most immaculate songcraft, they do make up via piercing lyrics.
"Absolution, Worth Requited" allows the duo more room and they do sound much freer on the mic while still maintaining a restrained angst as well as a certain level of cynicism I've personally become attached to whenever I think of them. They keep this up even on quirkier tracks like "Long Hair" or the harshly worded "Tension," which all go a long way to helping them forge their own lane in a time where you can namedrop Chumped or Superchunk when certain portions of Supersonic Home buzz loudly.
The Pittsburgh quintet’s latest effort is a bounding alt-rock mash-up that seems primed for the mid-'90s geeks out there and it's packed with toe-tapping guitar lines, memorable melodies and huge hooks. The middle lulls a bit but as the post-grunge title track caps things off, you get a pretty strong sense of where they're heading. Territory that's not too strange, especially given the emo-indie rise at present, but still, territory that you wouldn't mind navigating with them. Adventures definitely lays out a much-welcomed experience here and I can't wait to continue the journey with them.