There’s a lot to unpack after an initial listen of the new Adyn Townes album After The Fall. It’s feels like a breakup album at its core, but poetic lyrics and uplifting production wrap the sadness in a pretty package. All at once, it’s an album about finding hope through the suffering and picking up the pieces while still mourning a fresh wound.
The title track opens the record and firmly establishes the recurring tone. The lyrics are at times scathing and filled with pain, but then lines of optimism bring us back out of the depths. “Who knew that rock bottom was a trampoline?” is a line that perfectly portrays the conflicting mood of this album.
Townes says the song—and the whole of the album—is inspired by a fall into the ocean in 2015. The event ended up seriously injuring him and being a catalyst that changed the way he approached life and songwriting.
“It was at that moment where I decided that if I was able to make it out of the water, that I would do so many things differently moving forward,” said Townes.
His injury meant he was unable to play guitar, and was a very isolating experience that forced him to approach his songwriting in a new way. The result, he says, is something very different from his previous work.
There seems to be a narrative that runs through the album, as though it were inspired by a single, epic heartbreak. Each song conveys a feeling of Townes trying his best to move forward, but also still holding on to hope that things can still work. It’s a gut-wrenching back-and-forth that continues throughout the record.
The only song on the record that doesn’t seem tied to the narrative of loss is “Churchill,” a track in which Townes is trying to convince his love to run away with him. However, despite the hopeful message it conveys, it still isn’t without its reservations—this love is with someone else. If the album is a cohesive story, this song could fit in easily in the timeline.
It’s unsurprising that Townes lists James Bay as one of his influences, because his voice is very similar, with a bit of a grittier edge to it. At the same time, certain songs give off indie vibes reminiscent of the Front Bottoms. Even some of the sweeping production and whimsical vocals of tracks like “Before Hollywood” could be compared to some of the more stirring Owl City tracks. All of these combinations make for an unexpected and totally unique sound.
Perhaps the most beautiful song on the album is “House On The Ocean.” It features stripped down production that’s a refreshing change from the epic instrumentals or upbeat tempos most of the songs boast. At first listen, it seems like the perfect song for a wedding dance. Realizing that the visions for the future Townes sings about are wishful thinking quickly put a damper on that thought.
The album closes with the track “Sad Songs,” another depressing ode with a shiny, fun coating. It would be an appropriate choice for the title track, as it drives home the true message of this album—an emotional purge before moving on to brighter days. The talent Townes displays in this album on all fronts suggests that those bright days will be very possible.
“Re-branding under the new name was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done, but it was also the most empowering,” said Townes. “Holding the finished product in my hands fills me with a huge sense of accomplishment, more so than any record that I’ve made before. I can’t wait to see what comes next!”
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