There we were thinking back to the late 90s, presuming that the acclaimed abstract post-electroisms of Fridge was just Kieran Hebden feeling his way around the lab for the first time. Turns out it was a bit of a finishing school for more than just one. Now, joining Four Tet (the dreamy creation of the lauded Mr Hebden) as alumni of that experiment is Adem. Or Adem Ilhan as he was known in full back then. It’s a simplified title these days and a simplified sound. Not that it’s not as meticulous as expected though, because it really is so.
He has unassumingly followed his peer in the direction of folktronica, yet only actually got as far down the line as ‘folk…’ before drifting to a stop and concluding sagely that “yeah, sounds alright, that”. Obviously Fridge were well versed in such things, supplementing their post-rock studies as Badly Drawn Boy’s backing band, but this is different. These are weaves of new-born sound held up to the sunlight to check their workings through and cast a lightly layered shadow over the listener. These are not ditties.
It sounds like Dylan and Drake and Parsons, featherweight plucking, daydream thoughts and fractured vocals, expansive and varied acoustic instrumentation. And it seems so very honestly laboured. The sound of his fingers sliding between the frets on ‘Ringing In My Ear’, his most BDB-esque effort as it happens, is as important in setting the tone as the ringing of the notes.
The attestation that Fridge remained instrumental because none of them could sing now seems preposterous. His passionate bluesy cotton-wool tones on ‘Cut’ and ‘Everything You Need’ come close to Elliott Smith in terms of captivation. Of course the vocals are aided immeasurably by the completion of sound surrounding them. ‘Homesongs’ sits as this year’s equivalent of Four Tet’s amazing 2003 album ‘Rounds’, even if not so much in terms of style.