Album Reviews

With “Running From The Blows”, Orange County’s Adult Books follow up a string of EPs with their debut full-length.

Even though they borrowed their name from the legendary punk band X, this trio likes to crank out tunes that linger between indie pop and post-punk. Hook-filled and catchy, yet still a little rough around the edges and with some synth action sprucing things up alongside the peppy drums and solid guitar licks. You honestly don’t have to put that much effort into liking tracks like “Casual Wrecks” and “Nihilism For Beginners”.

Yet at the same time, “Running From The Blows” does not feel entirely convincing. I’m not sure why though. Maybe it all feels a bit too casual? This type of music has been done so many times before, that you need to change it up a little in order to stand out. And Adult Books don’t seem to feel compelled to do so. Frankly, they can do better.