REVIEW by Ralph Jaccondine/Aritist Representation
Adam is a hard working talented singer/songwriter. In a town [Boston] of talented musicians, Adam stands out from the pack and has a bright future.
The New Adam Hofmann Revival by the new face of music
Upon first listen to Berklee College of Music graduate (and a West Bridgewater, MA native) Adam Hofmann's debut release, it is obvious from the outset that this cat is diverse in his influences; rock, funk, blues, jazz, soul, you'll find it all packed within these eight original, emotionally-charged songs. Recorded at Avatar Studios in New York City, Hofmann and his Revival band - Billy Thompson on guitar and bass and Kevin Fortunato on drums - brew up a churning, groove-laden mix of all these various aforementioned vibes and influences, however with a very purposeful approach that digs deeper than simply the influences, but also cultivating them into the ultimate direction of these songs. The opening "I'm OK" reveals the piano chops from the get-go with a rough-edged, Hornsby-meets-Gregg Allmann feel that cuts right to the chase and let's you know where these proceedings are headed. The follow up "Tongue Tied" is a bluesy little romp full of soulful vocals and pounding piano fills running over the top of some deep and impeccable bass lines. "Anxiety" creates a playful drone and a sing-a-long chorus, while the off-beat "Shine" and smooth "Yellow Skies", complete with a sweet closing piano flourish, evokes a jazzy side to the band and interesting change of pace. "Then Who Am I" soars with the conviction of a Townshend-soaked Who ballad, while the closing "Sing Songs" is a beautiful Hofmann piano ballad creating a moving melody for which to deliver a truly soulful vocal.. with the climax evoking a calmness of completion that leaves one feeling the same. Visit Adam Hofmann at adamhofmannrevival.com
-Joe Milliken, Green Mountain Press
Adam Hofmann Revival by Music Spotlight
Nothing can be more compelling than when a musician can come clean with them self and let it all out in song. Sometimes such honesty can be hard to communicate but with an instrument, particularly an intimate one such as a guitar or piano, that conversation can come much easier. The instrument becomes an extension of the musician’s own self. It is very true that music allows the musician to honestly express themselves when they otherwise couldn’t, and the same can be said for Adam Hofmann Revival. Led by Adam Hofmann on piano, this self-titled album, recorded in just three days in NYC, is a perfect example of the special relationship between an artist and their instrument of choice.
The song writing and piano work is front and center throughout the whole record and rightfully so because, like any good songwriter, the honesty in Hofmann’s lyrics are what drive the songs. You can hear it in his lyrics through his somber singing in “Here I Stand”: “I can’t take another minute/not another fleeting chance/the time has come to make it/and I don’t know if I can”. His piano rides along constantly with his voice and is the perfect partner to it, accurately expressing every emotion with ease. The Adam Hofmann Revival could get by with just their strong song writing alone but what makes them even more of a well rounded band is the strength of Adam Hofmann’s voice. It sounds seasoned like that of Joe Cocker in “Shine” and delivers an urgency in songs such as “Then Who Am I” that helps lend an even greater amount of reality to what he‘s trying to say.
The band is solid. They don’t seem to have any problem either with switching from slow ballad concentrated songs to more up-beat pop tunes. The cool neuroticism of “Anxiety” captures the overall essence of this band with it’s self-conscious lyrics, musicianship, and catchy guitar-escalating chorus; it all fits together perfectly with a memorable melody break-down for good measure. Not only does “Anxiety” manage to reflect the bands strengths, it also has a memorable warping synth intro that makes it fittingly sound unlike any other song here and a stand out track.
He successfully channels the timeless presence of his inspirations, but adds his own modern feel. Could the likes of other piano men such as Elton John and Billy Joel be brought to mind when listening to Adam Hofmann as well? It wouldn’t be a far stretch to say so. All in all, listener will be given a healthy dose of Rock ‘N’Roll, that means everything from piano ballads to funky nerves. It’s an emotional up and down ride but one that Adam Hofmann seems to be in control of, even if he might not sound so sure of it himself from time to time.
Sound of Integrity by Adam Hofmann Revival's "You'll Get There"
Hofmann was kind enough to share with me one of his one hundred limited edition vinyl copies. It’s a beautiful listening experience. The sound capture on all the instruments is incredibly honest. The pianos resonate with emotion. The organs glow in the phones. The individuality of guitars and amps shines through.
There’s a ton of layering here, all expertly done, without a hint of over-production. The vocals always come to the fore; the lyrics are immaculately clear and devoid of any FX trickery. The overdubbing of piano and organ—a pairing among the most definitive in rock—was handled especially well.
The ordering of material is thoughtful and artistic. The album opens to the fanfare rhythms and rolling cymbals of the song you and i. There’s an operatic quality here, announcing from the outset that a storytelling journey has begun. The content is serious throughout, but a few intentional hangovers into studio chatter provide a little levity. The album also lends itself particularly well to vinyl, with special identities for Side A and Side B.
Musical integrity
you and i includes some very fine playing, individually to be sure, but even more so as a collective. No one overplays. The songs are the stars here; purpose and intent is evident in the band’s playing.
There’s a composed—and subsequently orchestrated—quality to this album that belies a higher-order musicianship. There are lots of collective hits and punches- even through some asymmetrical measures- and they’re just plain tight. Tunes move through bridges, modulations, meters, and codas but it all makes good sense.
Chris Carroll’s drumming is worthy of special mention. He contributes mightily to the melodic content of the music—a dying art. A student of mine recently mentioned being in a busy studio that didn’t even own an acoustic drum kit. Carroll reminds us that the toms are, in fact, pitched instruments and can make a melodic contribution.
It’s particularly evident on the track this love ain’t easy. Well executed, 6/8 can communicate a primitive sort of loveliness. This groove has blues at its heart, but Carroll’s work on the skins breathes just a hint of the reel into it, which takes a good tune to an entirely different level: a kind of ineffable folksy/bluesy place that defies pigeon-holing.
Artistic integrity
Make no mistake: Hofmann's poetry is the central feature of the album. There are no songs here about hitting the clubs, getting high, or notching another mark into the bedpost. Titles include heavy heart, loaded heart, scream, and dynamite. Lyrics cover a broad range of emotion and experience with openness and honesty.
It’s beautiful, but it’s not all easy. Such is life.
Overall, you’ll get there is in line the best in studio rock albums. But just don’t try to typecast the band by genre. AHR’s Facebook profile openly taunts those seeking to narrowly define their music:
Artists We Like: Come on, really? In this little box?
Influences: Look around and listen.
Band Interests: Music. And anything that is happening around us.
There’s that great moment in The Last Waltz when Scorsese asks Levon Helm about what the music should be called. Helm is briefly puzzled and then gives his wry, rebel smile and reply: “Rock ‘n Roll.”
There’s no sense trying to pinpoint what “kind” of music is found on you’ll get there. A few influences that jumped into my ears and onto my notepad include: The Beatles, The Band, The Who, Pink Floyd, Silver Bullet, Clapton, Nirvana… I even caught moment of Jim Steinman in there. But that’s a drastically incomplete list.
Mostly it sounds like Adam Hofmann Revival, and that’s good enough for me.
The Sound of Integrity by Adam Hofmann Revival's "You'll Get There"
Hofmann was kind enough to share with me one of his one hundred limited edition vinyl copies. It’s a beautiful listening experience. The sound capture on all the instruments is incredibly honest. The pianos resonate with emotion. The organs glow in the phones. The individuality of guitars and amps shines through.
There’s a ton of layering here, all expertly done, without a hint of over-production. The vocals always come to the fore; the lyrics are immaculately clear and devoid of any FX trickery. The overdubbing of piano and organ—a pairing among the most definitive in rock—was handled especially well.
The ordering of material is thoughtful and artistic. The album opens to the fanfare rhythms and rolling cymbals of the song you and i. There’s an operatic quality here, announcing from the outset that a storytelling journey has begun. The content is serious throughout, but a few intentional hangovers into studio chatter provide a little levity. The album also lends itself particularly well to vinyl, with special identities for Side A and Side B.
Musical integrity
you and i includes some very fine playing, individually to be sure, but even more so as a collective. No one overplays. The songs are the stars here; purpose and intent is evident in the band’s playing.
There’s a composed—and subsequently orchestrated—quality to this album that belies a higher-order musicianship. There are lots of collective hits and punches- even through some asymmetrical measures- and they’re just plain tight. Tunes move through bridges, modulations, meters, and codas but it all makes good sense.
The Sound of Integrity by
Adam Hofmann's "You'll Get There"This is a piece about integrity. you’ll get there, the new album from Adam Hofmann Revival, is absolutely dripping with it.
Production integrity
Hofmann was kind enough to share with me one of his one hundred limited edition vinyl copies. It’s a beautiful listening experience. The sound capture on all the instruments is incredibly honest. The pianos resonate with emotion. The organs glow in the phones. The individuality of guitars and amps shines through.
There’s a ton of layering here, all expertly done, without a hint of over-production. The vocals always come to the fore; the lyrics are immaculately clear and devoid of any FX trickery. The overdubbing of piano and organ—a pairing among the most definitive in rock—was handled especially well.
The ordering of material is thoughtful and artistic. The album opens to the fanfare rhythms and rolling cymbals of the song you and i. There’s an operatic quality here, announcing from the outset that a storytelling journey has begun. The content is serious throughout, but a few intentional hangovers into studio chatter provide a little levity. The album also lends itself particularly well to vinyl, with special identities for Side A and Side B.
Musical integrity
you and i includes some very fine playing, individually to be sure, but even more so as a collective. No one overplays. The songs are the stars here; purpose and intent is evident in the band’s playing.
There’s a composed—and subsequently orchestrated—quality to this album that belies a higher-order musicianship. There are lots of collective hits and punches- even through some asymmetrical measures- and they’re just plain tight. Tunes move through bridges, modulations, meters, and codas but it all makes good sense.
Chris Carroll’s drumming is worthy of special mention. He contributes mightily to the melodic content of the music—a dying art. A student of mine recently mentioned being in a busy studio that didn’t even own an acoustic drum kit. Carroll reminds us that the toms are, in fact, pitched instruments and can make a melodic contribution.
It’s particularly evident on the track this love ain’t easy. Well executed, 6/8 can communicate a primitive sort of loveliness. This groove has blues at its heart, but Carroll’s work on the skins breathes just a hint of the reel into it, which takes a good tune to an entirely different level: a kind of ineffable folksy/bluesy place that defies pigeon-holing.
Artistic integrity
Make no mistake: Hofmann's poetry is the central feature of the album. There are no songs here about hitting the clubs, getting high, or notching another mark into the bedpost. Titles include heavy heart, loaded heart, scream, and dynamite. Lyrics cover a broad range of emotion and experience with openness and honesty.
It’s beautiful, but it’s not all easy. Such is life.
Overall, you’ll get there is in line the best in studio rock albums. But just don’t try to typecast the band by genre. AHR’s Facebook profile openly taunts those seeking to narrowly define their music:
Artists We Like: Come on, really? In this little box?
Influences: Look around and listen.
Band Interests: Music. And anything that is happening around us.
There’s that great moment in The Last Waltz when Scorsese asks Levon Helm about what the music should be called. Helm is briefly puzzled and then gives his wry, rebel smile and reply: “Rock ‘n Roll.”
There’s no sense trying to pinpoint what “kind” of music is found on you’ll get there. A few influences that jumped into my ears and onto my notepad include: The Beatles, The Band, The Who, Pink Floyd, Silver Bullet, Clapton, Nirvana… I even caught moment of Jim Steinman in there. But that’s a drastically incomplete list.
Mostly it sounds like Adam Hofmann Revival, and that’s good enough for me. 
