Artist Spotlight: Adam Lytle
feature & concert review by Beau Croxton
Adam Lytle by Meg Molli
Adam Lytle explores devotion and the divine on his excellent indie-folk album, Altars.
Adam Lytle is an artist with a very distinctive approach and voice– he brings a unique, folky-style of indie rock led by nylon strings and striking lyricism. He emerged as a solo artist at the beginning of this decade with his debut record, This Is The Fire . With its potent lyricism and evocative arrangements, his solo debut drew comparisons to the work of Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, and Scott Walker. Lytle embarked on tours across Europe and the United States, further honing his craft and gaining the adoration of new fans along the way.
In May, Lytle just released his new record Altars. Despite the nylon-folk, Dylan-esque foundation of the tunes, the vibe on the record is often western and haunting , with occasional fuzzy guitars that lurk the background; it can get delightfully dark. Like his debut, it’s also reminiscent of sounds that have been championed by greats like Leonard Cohen or Scott Walker– but a new edginess brings a cinematic, Nick Cave-esque feel to his stories. The record presents a more gothic and ferocious version of his indie-folk sound– it contains elements such as over-dubbed screeching metal, blown-out guitars and off-kilter sounds in the mix to pair with some of his darker tales.
Speaking to Occult, Lylte elaborated on the LP: "With this album I wanted to expand on the sonic palette established on my first solo album 'This Is The Fire’. So much has happened in the short period between the two albums and I wanted to communicate directly with the challenges of our time both in sound and lyric. This collection of songs is united by their unwavering examination of Devotion.”
At the forefront of the mix, there is his signature nylon-string folk in a more singer/songwriter fashion, but the production is rich with details that embellish every tune theatrically; such as the beautiful ethereal backing vocals on “Sanctuary”. Opening track “Savage Thunder” leads in with a very mysterious, spooky tone that lures you in. It takes off with gorgeous backing vocals and percussion, and all of the production choices and mixing of Altars sound highly-considered. Eerie, beautiful instrumentals provide a sonic atmosphere that is very transportive– Lytle’s cryptic stories almost feel like they are taking place in a dark, dusty desert. Lytle’s lyricism, perspective, tone, and delivery really drives his narratives thoroughly.
On Altars, Lytle finds his stride as he becomes more manic and passionate on the triumphant, thumping, western-gospel of “Heaven”. Elaborating on the track, Lytle had this to say– "‘Heaven’ is a critique in the form of an odyssey. Drawing on elements of Psychedelic Rock and Kosmische, the song follows one person’s search for meaning through a society that pretends to have all the answers.”
The energy here is not just palpable in Lytle’s vocal performance, it also radiates and builds naturally from every musician in the studio– Lylte added: “The energy you hear comes from the fact that this song was recorded live in the studio. With each take, the sound became more and more unhinged. In a way, perfectly mirroring the unraveling arc of the narrative."
The record finds a great peak between “Heaven” and “Black Masses”, with the first ending in a manic guitar frenzy. “Black Masses” stomps in with a gothic, western, “Blue Monday”-type strut that goes on to detail eerie stories of uncertainty and darkness. The track’s tone is utterly tough and stands out significantly on Altars. Snare drums fire like machine guns to build suspense, while guitars and piano go haywire in the background– it all builds as the stories grow more profound. It all leads up to a cathartic ending with triumphant, choir-style vocals and a grand, bad ass 6/8 section. Speaking to Occult, Lytle had this to say about the single– "Black Masses is a parable. A time-worn story of how the power-hungry use violence and religious fervor to achieve what they feel is their divine right to lead.”
Adam Lytle at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn, portrait by Amghy Chacon
Altars is an incredibly solid and very well produced indie-folk-rock record with luring, dark tones that should definitely strike a chord with folks who are into artists such as Bob Dylan, The War on Drugs, Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty or Scott Walker— and here at Occult we highly recommend it.
ADAM LYTLE LIVE AT THE SULTAN ROOM - BROOKLYN, NYC
Adam Lytle opened his Altars release show with “Lead on Desire”(see below), a minor-chord tune which just slightly resembles Pink Floyd’s strut from “Another Brick In The Wall”, in a much more folky fashion. It was a captivating open that set the mood properly, and his presence got the audience laser-focused on his every word.
Lytle spent a good amount of time between songs showing gratitude for his collaborators on the Altars record, many of whom were in the room. The mix of the live show was significantly (and appropriately) more electric sounding than the record. While the nylon acoustic sits more prominently in the mix on the record, the band that surrounded him on stage really got to shine. Electric guitar leads often sounded more ripping, fuzzy and loud, bringing a heavier rock and roll flavor to his indie folk tunes, while drums thumped and banged in a more primitive way than the studio renditions. There was an infectious energy that kept everyone very present and cheering loudly after every track. It was even more electric and energetic than anticipated, which warrants plenty of excitement for Lytle’s live show as a separate entity from his studio work.
Lytle sequenced his track listing perfectly, as his Sultan Room release party peaked in energy just as it does on the album— “Black Masses” was performed explosively directly into “Heaven” to close the show with a bang, much to the delight of all attending and celebrating with him. (Make sure you check out his in live version of the track below)
At the Sultan Room on that warm night, it was clear the venue was packed by a community of Brooklyn artists, peers of Lytle, and enthusiastic new fans — the show was done beautifully. The wholesome audience clearly had an immense appreciation for Lytle, his excellent song craft, and his new release.
