Great things seem to be coming out of the desert these days, and one of them is Adam’s Evil, from Phoenix.      “Ready to Burn” starts off  with a bit of fast paced grunge-ish guitar, then Sarah’s vocals kick in, with a fetching radio-distorted effect and a strident chorus that could almost belong in a psychobilly song.  Fez anchors the song with a heavy, yet steady percussion.  Kristopher’s bass bridges through to the final stretch, and then Mouse has a fine bit of guitar in the middle that cuts like a knife.    Very danceable, this is one of my favorite tracks.  “And you want me/to break the spell/but I bring you closer/to my hell.”  “Stalker” opens with an ominous bass line.   Fittingly, Sarah’s vocals alternate between menacing and lonely.  “Lights are on/but no one’s home/I tried to call you/but you don’t want me anymore”.   Segments of raw alt-rock guitar are followed by a fine guitar piece that reminds me in a way of Neil Young and Crazy Horse that ends on a cool echo.  The song displays Sarah’s exquisite voice to fine advantage.     “Cut Me Down” is a bit poppier,  yet with dark overtones  at the same time   There is a nice  Ska/Reggae sort of groove, which alternates with heavy guitar lines.  Percussion ably fills in the spaces.  Vocals are a bit wistful on “Infection”.  Bass plays a prominent part here, with buzz saw guitar lends weight at the right times.  Poignant vocal interludes “Doctor, I need a prescription/I need a little help tonight…” are  accompanied by a bit of edgy guitar that brings early U2 to mind.  For some reason, I am mesmerized by the way Sarah sings “Baby, baby”.   “It’s Just You” is a great song with edgy grunge-laden guitar and punkish vocals.  The combination works admirably.  A guitar solo in mid song with cadenced bass, balanced by percussion takes the song to its final stretch.  I love the inflection that Sarah gives “It’s just you…yeah.”  The last two tracks are radio edits of “Ready to Burn” and “Stalker”.  “Play Me” is a great debut from a talented band.  The sound production of this EP is excellent.   Dark but not overbearing, their combination of grunge, garage, rock, ska and more definitely works.   I look forward to hearing more!

www.myspace.com/adamsevil