New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Adam Sullivan Official Website) - 'His songs are dark and introspective; his vision of the world is bleak. Yet there is a beauty in melancholy. Remember Keats. Melancholy, he tells us, "dwells with beauty." And there is no question an intense beauty is dwelling in the sadness of Sullivan's music'
'The polished artistry of a songwriter who knows his craft combined with the restless rambling urge of someone who needs the road even if he's started to question his place on it'
Sullivan's Haunting, Emotional Journey Earns Raves, Comparisons to REM and Randy Newman
'The talent here is unmistakable'
Early raves have greeted singer/songwriter/pianist Adam Sullivan's haunting new CD 'The Room is Spinning Faster' - in his lengthy review, veteran critic Jack Goodstein compares Sullivan to such seminal poets as Keats, as Goodstein praises in BlogCritics: 'His songs are dark and introspective; his vision of the world is bleak. Yet there is a beauty in melancholy. Remember Keats. Melancholy, he tells us, "dwells with beauty." And there is no question an intense beauty is dwelling in the sadness of Sullivan's music.'
For Sullivan, the album chronicles relationships and connections that have intense personal meaning - 'these songs are pages out of my life that have very real emotional attachments...they deal with everything from health issues, to the death of close friends, to a sense of disconnectedness...' Sullivan takes these intimate stories and weaves them into a dramatic collection of original songs that at times evoke the cinematic landscapes of '70s-era Billy Joel, the sense of heartache in Todd Rundgren's iconic 'Hello It's Me,' and a flair for theatrical melancholy as well. Listen to streaming audio of the album, here: https://adamsullivan.com/room/
WildysWorld noted, '...the talent here is unmistakable.' 'Adam Sullivan gets compared to Billy Joel and Ben Folds a lot, but his musical roots are in the darker melancholy of Randy Newman and REM.' "Please Don't Fall In Love With Me" is great songwriting, a melancholy and thoughtful love song written from the depths of fear and confusion.'
BLOGCRITICS CD REVIEW
By Jack Goodstein, 10/12/10
https://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-adam-sullivan-the-room/
When I studied poetry back in the dim dark days beyond recall, it was always made very clear that it was a mistake to equate the speaker in a poem with the poet. Even when the poem seemed very subjective and seemed to reflect actual experiences associated with the poet, it was still necessary to differentiate between the person who wrote the poem and the voice that is speaking.
Poets, even in their lyrical statements, and especially in their lyrical statements were not speaking about themselves and their own lives. They were speaking about human qualities related to all men. They spoke through voices they created: personae.
I take the same to be true of the best of the singer/songwriters. Their songs are not to be seen as personal expressions of their own emotional states. No matter how personal they seem, they are to be seen as individual instances of the general human condition. Their songs represent the universal through the particular. This is a precept listeners need to keep in mind when listening to the songs on Adam Sullivan's newly released album, The Room Is Spinning Faster. Sullivan has created a persona that finds the world a bleak place, a place where, to quote another poet, there is "neither joy, nor love, nor light. Nor certitude, nor peace, nor hope for pain." He is here, as on a "darkling plain."
More often than not, he seems to be singing about loneliness and isolation and the frustrating need to find something meaningful where very little seems to have any meaning. He describes a world where there is little that can be relied on, indeed even one's own feelings. Where some have found meaning in love, Sullivan seems to find it as unreliable as everything else in the world. His songs are dark and introspective; his vision of the world is bleak. Yet there is a beauty in melancholy. Remember Keats. Melancholy, he tells us, "dwells with beauty." And there is no question an intense beauty is dwelling in the sadness of Sullivan's music.
The album contains thirteen songs. And the very first track, "Nothing Like Being Alone," with its throbbing piano, pounds out the truth that being alone shows you "just how crazy you are" because it's you and it's never been you. This is the human paradox: we want something, but we don't always know what it is we want. "Please Don't Fall In Love With Me" is a lover's warning that he is not to be trusted, that if she closes her eyes, he's liable to be gone. Still, he doesn't want her to close her eyes; he wants to stay. "Something To Lose" begins with a melancholy day, where the persona laments that having nothing is the something he has to lose, and ends with a plea for a someone to be his something.
"These Are The Thoughts" begins with a mournful violin as the speaker tries to deal with sadness with random thoughts and memories, but there is the sense in the music as well as the lyrics that they may not do the job. The music throughout is the perfect counterpart to the sense. There is something dirge-like in the opening piano bars of "Rainy Morning In Amsterdam," a song that speaks to loss and death, in this case in part, the death of a grandmother. Gradually, it rises to a richness of orchestration as it finds some consolation in the assertion that "no one dies," before ending with the loneliness of the solo piano.
"This City" speaks to the need to break away from a place that will eat you up if you don't eat it first. "But The Dinosaurs Were Dead" seems to contrast the need for some kind of action in the world with the impossibility of doing anything. It is, after all, too late to save the dinosaurs. It suggests that it is only the young that idealistically look to save the world. "Nothing Needs To Happen" is another song that asserts, just "leave it alone." And even when something has to happen when love seems to be leaving and presumably must be saved, nothing does happen.
This is not a bright and cheerful album. Sullivan is not a chirpy pop singer. His voice is rich with a tinge of gravel. His vision is dark, and his voice has the darkness of his vision. It is a voice touched with experience. It is the right voice for these songs.
MELODIC Interview feature
By Rickard Holmgren, 10/16/10
https://www.melodic.net/interviewsOne.asp?interviewId=344
Hi Adam and welcome to Melodic.net . How are you?
Hey! I'm good. Thanks! How are you?
2. Call you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born and raised in southern Virginia. Both of my parents were teachers, so education was a very big part of my life from an early age - as was music. My grandmother gave my mother a piano when I was 2 or 3, and very quickly I was playing it more than my mother was - making up my own little songs (I have to imagine they didn't make much sense at that age). I trained classically for 12 years, and then began making the shift towards contemporary songwriting. My parents saw Juilliard, I saw CBGB - we settled on cafes. So, I put together a band and we started playing coffee shops in Virginia. After a couple of years and six records, I became restless and felt the need to take my art north. I spent time in Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Boston - before finally settling in New York City. I've been playing the NYC scene for nearly 4 years now and consider this my home. "The Room is Spinning Faster" is the second record that I've released since moving here, and on November 23, I will be releasing my third EP - "I'd Let You Wear My Boots." It's a country western EP that I recorded in Nashville last year while making this new indie piano rock record.
3. What can you tell us about your album "The Room is Spinning Faster"
This record is essentially a collection of diary entries. They're in no particular order - and for the most part - there's no connection between the entries. They're just stories from my life. Most of the songs were written over the past couple of years, many of them while I was traveling or touring abroad. So, there's sense of isolation and restlessness in some of the songs that is very indicative of where I was when I wrote them. The title of the record specifically refers to a spinning restaurant I was in at the top of a tower in Reykjavik, Iceland. However, I think the title really encompasses the themes of this record. Sometimes, when you're gone from home for so long, you start to lose touch with pieces of yourself. Those roots that ground you start to fall away, and before you know it you're lost and just grabbing for something familiar, something that makes sense - you're spinning. The record begins with a reflection on the effects of having been alone and ends with a message that I am coming home. So, while there's no specific order or continuing narrative through the tracks - it's still a journey.
4. Who are you main influences?
My mom is a huge fan of Neil Diamond and The Righteous Brothers. So, as a child, I heard a lot of 60's/70's pop ballads - which I think informed my sense of melody in a way. Other artists that have influenced me over the years: Randy Newman, Joe Jackson, Ryan Adams, Jim Steinman, The Cure, Tom Waits.
5. What is the biggest challenge you have to face as an artist today?
I think the biggest challenges actually go hand in hand with the biggest opportunities. In this digital age, artists can do so much more for themselves. We can do our own recording and distribute our music across the world - all without the help of a label. That's amazing! It opens the door for a lot of new artists, and a lot of new music. The challenge comes in setting yourself apart in this new DIY industry. Listeners have so many options now, and that's a good thing. It sets the bar higher. However, it can be a big challenge to get people to hear your music, when they are already inundated with tons of new music and artists.
6. What is your opinion on piracy? All bad or good aspects to it?
This always seems like a trick question! The term "piracy" in and of itself insinuates something untoward. However, I remember being in high school and making mix tapes for girlfriends. I was sharing music with them. Was that piracy? Technically, yes. But was it bad? I think you have to identify intention when you're dealing with piracy. Pirates (think Captain Blackbeard or such) robbed with no intention of returning or repaying what they stole. And many people download music with no intention of compensating or supporting the artist. I do think that's wrong, especially if you have the means with which to support the artist.
That said, I think it's a lot to ask people to pay $10 for a record they haven't heard yet (and no, 0:30 clips don't count). When we buy a car, we get to test drive. We can go into Best Buy and view a variety of entertainment sources on the televisions before deciding which one to purchase. Yet, consumers are asked to take home a record they haven't experienced, with no possibility for return if they are unsatisfied. It doesn't seem fair.
Of course, I'm not saying that this justifies piracy. But if one's intention is to "pirate" a record to preview it, and then purchase it if he or she intends to listen to it - I have less of a problem with that. I have absolutely no problem with people sharing music with friends in an effort to promote an artist. That's what it's all about - people hearing the music and discovering a new artist. If piracy - in a well-intentioned form - can help build an artist, is it still piracy?
7. Who is a dream artist/band to share a stage with?
I'd love to share a stage with the Counting Crows. They're one of my favorite live bands, and every show I see is a revelation to me. I'd probably blow through my own set just to stand off-stage and watch theirs.
8. Is there a song out there you wish you had written?
Kate Bush - This Woman's Work. This might be the most beautiful song ever written. When I write, I try to communicate emotion as much through the music as through the lyrics. This song is perfect in that way. She could be singing about the weather and it would still speak to me.
Runner-up: Antony and the Johnsons - Hope There's Someone. This is another absolutely beautiful tune.
9. Name one album that everyone should own.
Can I name two?
1.) R.E.M. - Automatic For The People. It's not my favorite record of all time, but it's good - start to finish. You don't skip tracks - you don't have to. Each one is right. "Nightswimming" is just perfection.
2.) Joni Mitchell - Blue. I love this record. And I love Joni. She tells stories that you just get lost in. "River" is just such a great song - one of my favorites.
10. What does the nearest future hold for you?
I have a few more U.S. shows in October, then I'm headed to Europe in November to promote the new record in Ireland, the UK, and France. After the holidays, I'll be back out on the road in the US/Canada for a spring tour. In between shows/tours, I'll be in the studio working on a set of 4 EPs that will come out next year - one in each season.
11. Thanks for answering the questions, any final words for our readers?
Thank you all very much for taking the time to read this interview. And thanks for checking out my new record. If you like what you hear, please stay in touch via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. I hope to meet a lot of you at future shows!
WILDYSWORLD - CD REVIEW
By Wildy Haskell, 10/10 (excerpts)
Adam Sullivan gets compared to Billy Joel and Ben Folds a lot, but his musical roots are in the darker melancholy of Randy Newman and REM. With eleven albums/EPs under his belt and ambitious international touring schedule, Sullivan has paid his dues and developed a solid fan base the world over. His latest album, The Room Is Spinning Faster, shows the polished artistry of a songwriter who knows his craft combined with the restless rambling urge of someone who needs the road even if he's started to question his place on it. The Room Is Spinning Faster is due out in October 2010 on Dweeb Records, but is already available in digital formats.
Adam Sullivan starts out strong with "Nothing Like Being Alone", rumination on his place in the world, sanity, perspective and understanding. It's a Ben Folds-style ballad that's highly introspective, a soaring melancholy ode to self-contemplation. "But The Dinosaurs Were Dead" is edgy, smooth pop, once again reminiscent of Folds. The instrumentation here is unique, making use of piano and string to create an off-balance sound that somehow stands on its own. "Please Don't Fall In Love With Me" is great songwriting, a melancholy and thoughtful love song written from the depths of fear and confusion.
Sullivan's album is a wistful travelogue, consisting of songs written over the past two years in a variety of locations both in the U.S. (NYC, Nashville, Vermont, Virginia) and abroad (Ireland, The Netherlands, London, Iceland). Highlights include the dense 'Rainy Morning in Amsterdam', complete with lush strings and operatic cries; the memorable 'These Are the Thoughts', featuring doubled vocals and lyrics that convey a literal unrest; the haunted 'Come Down,' which wrestles with unrequited infatuation; and 'Nothing Like Being Alone,' which finds Sullivan questioning his sanity.
Available now via Dweeb Records, the lush production reflects the album's pedigree: Produced by John Mark Painter (Ben Folds, Sixpence None The Richer), the album features Bobby Huff (Tim Finn, Julian Lennon) and Lindsay Jamieson (Ben Folds, Matt Kearney) on drums; JMP on bass, guitar and horns; and guest appearances by Matt Slocum (Sixpence None The Richer), Fleming McWilliams (Fleming and John), Pat Severs (Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr.) and The Love Sponge Strings (Ben Folds, Train, Indigo Girls). Though some might favorably compare Sullivan to contemporary artists such as Ben Folds, his style of writing and performing hearken back to another era...he counts rock music of the 80's, Randy Newman and REM among his influences - see more about Sullivan's unique background, below. Further setting him apart from the pack, Sullivan happens to have two Masters degrees, a PhD, and he teaches online courses in accounting, statistics and business.
Sullivan is known for his intense international touring schedule - often performing over 100 concerts per year - and the coming months are no exception. A series of U.S. dates are planned for Fall/Winter, and details will be announced soon.
Adam Sullivan - The Room Is Spinning - Biography
'One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things,' Henry Miller once wrote.
For his latest release, The Room Is Spinning, singer-songwriter Adam Sullivan took Miller's words to heart. Following his restlessness across borders, oceans and international time zones, he found himself happily bumping into inspiration at nearly every stop.
'I have a hard time staying in the same place for very long,' Sullivan says. 'I have a base in New York City, but I travel a lot. And these songs were written everywhere from England to Ireland to The Netherlands to Iceland. I played over a hundred shows last year in the US and Canada and Europe, so I was constantly meeting new people and experiencing new things. The record is a collection of stories from my life - kind of like a diary, really. I'm very honest about the details, and I tend to write about things that make me feel something.'
Like receiving funny, detailed postcards from a friend abroad, there's a vicarious thrill in hearing Sullivan share his experiences. Whether its the candid doubts about his own sanity in the sweeping opener 'Nothing Like Being Alone' or the complications of a love triangle in the angular rocker 'Dinosaurs,' you find yourself feeling empathy for his plights. Even when the mood shifts, from the autumnal chamber pop of 'Amsterdam' through the lush late night meditation of 'Providence' to the heart-racing beauty of 'Cab,' Sullivan conveys a sense of embracing life with all its crazy funhouse mirrors and trap doors.
'It's bizarre when you spend so much time alone on the road,' he says, 'but at the same time I kind of feel like there's a sense of self-discovery. You really realize who you are.'
With eight EPs and three albums under his belt, the piano-playing Sullivan certainly knows who he is as an artist, but for The Room Is Spinning, he upped the ante by working with producer John Painter (Ben Folds, Sixpence None The Richer). With arrangements that include everything from middle eastern-flavored strings to spy jazz flourishes, Painter creates a dazzling widescreen palette that perfectly complements Sullivan's sweet melodicism and relaxed, conversational vocals.
'I've been a fan of John's ever since I was a kid, so this was kind of a like a dream come true,' Sullivan says. 'John was easy to work with. The atmosphere in the studio was really fun, with a lot of joking around. We took what we were doing seriously, but there was never pressure. I brought thirty or forty songs in, and we spent a couple of days just listening and refining the list. The collaboration was great.
'Everything I've done previously has been self-produced and self-recorded,' he continues. 'So it was amazing to watch John work, because he has such a discerning ear when it comes to arrangements and mixes, and how to shape a complex sonic vision into something that makes sense. It took everything to a new level, in a much more hi-fi way. I think it goes beyond a typical singer-songwriter record.'
Sullivan's background also goes beyond typical singer-songwriter stock. Born and raised in Virginia, he was on the fast track to be a concert pianist, with Julliard and recitals in his future. Then he discovered rock music and it was bye bye Brahms. Not that his parents approved at first.
He recalls, 'I was sheltered as a kid. My mom and dad were strict, and I had to sneak records into the house and hide my Walkman under the mattress.'
Finally, he made a deal with his parents. He'd practice Mozart and Beethoven for a few hours a day, and in return, he'd get to play some of the contemporary music he liked.
'It wasn't even cutting edge stuff that I got into,' Sullivan says. 'Mostly '80s rock and pop. But it was totally new to me, so I was like, 'This is amazing! This is the promised land of music!' And even though later I got into artists like REM and Randy Newman, all those '80s records influenced me, in that I tend to write in a lot of different genres.'
Further setting himself apart from 99% of the sensitive troubadours out there, Sullivan also has two masters degrees, a PhD and he teaches online courses in accounting, statistics and business.
With a chuckle, he says, 'I always joke that I went to school to be Batman. I loved the idea that Batman had these two lives. During the day, he was a businessman, and at night, a superhero. I enjoy teaching, and the interactions I have with my students. However, music is my passion, and I look forward to the day I can support myself that way.'
If The Room Is Spinning is any indication, that day may be just around the corner. But as he looks forward to more globe-trotting and performing, Sullivan acknowledges that being a singer-songwriter is still an uphill struggle.
'I'm the worst self-promoter, so I haven't figured out how to shove my records in everybody's faces yet,' he says with a smile.
'But I hope that people find something to relate to in these songs. That's one of the reasons I write. It's really easy to feel alone, and I've always found comfort in songs that I can relate to. Those songs reassure me that I'm not the only one that feels the way I do. I really hope that I can provide that same reassurance to others through my own music. It's important to me to that I make a connection with people, whether on record or in a live performance. Not for the album sales or recognition - but for the benefit of having had that shared mutual experience
Biography by Bill DeMain (featured music writer for MOJO, Performing Songwriter, Musician, Mental Floss, Entertainment Weekly)
