Torin Muccino – Adeline
Torin Muccino – Adeline – EP Review
Man.
I kinda wish every EP, like, on EARTH started out as enticing as this one does. I get chills every time it begins…it’s audibly supernatural the way that “Intro/Another Day” opens up the adventure into this highly anticipated record from Torin Muccino. He teased pieces of this set of five out there on the internet with lead-singles like “Eyes Wide Shut” and its titular track – and if you’ve been following along here on our pages & read our reviews on young Mr. Muccino…you know I’ve been right there in this dude’s corner from the get-go. Heck, if you just listened to “Intro/Another Day” and how the Adeline EP starts out, then I don’t need to explain WHY we’ve had such positive things to say about this gifted talent – you just heard a plethora of reasons on display from the musicianship to the microphone in six-plus glorious minutes of spectacularly surreal sound. Guy’s got a genuinely visionary style & sound of his own; I’ve listened to one hell of a lot of music in this lifetime, and Torin’s got one of the most undeniably unique voices I’ve heard out there bar none. When we talk about finding a place in music for yourself – a little real estate to own that no other band or artist can invade & what sets you apart from the rest – the tangible qualities required to stand out instantly, have always been radiantly apparent and remarkably abundant in Torin’s tunes. I told ya before, and I’ll tell ya again – he could very well be a generational talent in the making…even his earliest steps revealed an artist with insight & wisdom light-years beyond his own time on earth already…and once again, he’s proving my predictions & praise to be truthful with an outstanding new record that is stocked full of a gripping set of his best material to-date.
As “Intro/Another Day” begins, it’ll be the incredible clarity, use of ambient sound, and stunning tone that instantly grabs ya. Spellbinding, mesmerizing, jaw-dropping…you name it – it’s all of these things, truly. Torin will absolutely have you all at hello here with the way the Adeline EP starts – “Intro/Another Day” immediately entices us in with mysterious melody & curious sound in spectacularly sly abundance. The way these guitar notes ring out into the atmosphere displays a complete mastery in the production department, and it really brings out the most in Muccino’s potential through the supreme performance he puts into this song, in addition to the rest of this stellar set you’ll discover afterwards. LISTEN to this opening though will ya? Like, what about that spot right around the 1:20 mark where the whole WORLD seems to spring to life around you while Torin’s playing a sweet mixture of gentle & bold tones through his guitar? Amazing! Believe me…I’ve said plenty about my admiration for the unique voice this guy sings with, and I’m sure that’ll come into play once again here in review today quite quickly down the road here – but on an instrumental level alone, the first three-minutes & twenty-seconds of “Intro/Another Day” will fully prove that, even without a word, Muccino is more than capable of creating songs that’ll entirely captivate you. It’s remarkable, straight up…it’s extremely rare to find a cut played at this chill of a pace that doesn’t just keep you interested, but equally engaged – you hang onto every note, every word, and every sound you’ll hear throughout this first song, because Torin’s got the whole thing expertly designed to unfold exactly like the most compelling story you’ve ever read does. The transition between what would be the “Intro” & what would be “Another Day” is perfectly flawless; this is a symbiotic pairing that genuinely should be listened to at the same time as opposed to splitting the two parts up unnecessarily like so many would be tempted to do. Torin’s made an insightful decision in keeping these two pieces together…I think they need each other to get the full experience of that spine-tingling sound and really catch onto the aura & vibes in the atmosphere of the Adeline EP.
I firmly believe that almost no one out there is gonna see this dude coming. We’re gonna go from what seems like relative obscurity, into a full-blown household name…that is the true potential of an artist like Torin Muccino – the future is his for the taking, however he chooses to go about it, and all he’d need is the skillset & songwriting ability he ALREADY has. I’m 100% realistic in knowing that, something like “Adeline” itself, is far, far removed from what most people out there would consider to be a typical lead-single…but that’s the thing about doing things differently than everyone else does – what WOULD be the right song to put out there? Justifiably, when you’re really doing your own thing and exercising your creative freedom as an artist, you make the rules – and any tune could become a gateway into what’s essentially a very new sound. Sure there is a good chance that Torin’s gonna get lumped on in with the Folk music crowd, or Alt-Folk maybe at best…but even under the umbrellas of the biggest genre or style that might house his music from your own perspective, there’s not much that’s directly comparable to his own unique approach and style of songwriting. Talk about an advantage! You can’t teach what Torin has. Sure he’ll learn new tricks over time and find clever & exciting ways to keep challenging himself as an artist to evolve from here on, I’m certain of it – there’s ALWAYS room to improve in life no matter what stage we’re at – but my point is, what’s authentically special about Torin Muccino comes from right within the deepest reaches of the man’s heart & soul, and it clearly sets him apart from anything I can personally think of. So don’t get it twisted – no, “Adeline” is not a typical ‘single’ as the top-40 crowd would define it by any stretch of the imagination – but it IS an absolutely effective gateway into Muccino’s style & sound, and an extraordinary glimpse into his songwriting craft. With it ultimately being a completely new kind of approach to Folk or whatever you’d want to call what Torin does, the flawless production & performance, and the undeniably gripping mix of dark & moody melody that storms through “Adeline” from beginning to end as Muccino cycles through emotionally-charged lyricism…I say sure, this cut displays single-worthy sound of a different kind altogether. The rare kind. The kind that lasts. “Adeline” will have you remembering its haunting melody forevermore.
I have it on somewhat good authority that “On The Line” is set to become a future single from this record, and I’m absolutely 100% HERE for it. In all honesty though, I’ve been truthful the entire time – ANY of these cuts could justifiably be an effective gateway into Torin’s tunes, because what he does is THAT noticeably different, and if you dig what you hear, there’s every chance you’ll feel like I do and literally dig it ALL. “On The Line” has the advantage of a bit more of a bold rhythm & groove, and a slightly more aggressive attitude to the lyricism & Muccino’s delivery – that’s what’s gonna set this particular cut apart from the rest of the lineup for the majority of listeners out there. So in that sense alone, sure, he’s inching closer to what most people would associate with a single sliced to represent an album or EP – but never so close that you could mistake a Torin Muccino tune for anything else. Signature style doesn’t even cover it folks…that almost seems like a pale label to apply to an artist that practically defines the very essence of what makes being different so freakin’ fantastic and addictive to listen to. But yes, when it comes right down to it, that’s the term we use & it’s undeniably what he has – there isn’t a set of ears out there that would be familiar with Torin’s vocals & style and not be able to identify it the very next time they hear it, whether it’s a song they know or it’s not – THAT is how unique he is. As people out there continue to latch onto his style & sound, believe me when I say, he’s gonna have an army of dedicated fans that embrace his innovative ideas and artistic creativity with open arms; and they’ll stick with him over time & evolution as he changes any which way he chooses to from here. On a personal level, I think “On The Line” really stands out for the boldness of Torin’s performance at its most intense & amped-up on the microphone – you can feel the surge of emotion flood through him as he connects to the meanings behind his words, and the resulting performance is a pure reflection of him tapping right into the soulfully twisted scenarios & scenes his lyrical imagery draws from. Naturally going with the energy that suits the strengths of the words & music as one – “On The Line” stands a great chance of being a highlight for many listeners, directly due to the lively design & noticeable spark of ire rising through your speakers…but Torin is nothing short of captivating throughout this entire EP.
Like, every time I hear “Eyes Wide Shut” one of my first thoughts is ‘WHERE do you even GET a voice like this guy has?’ It’s another one of the cuts we had checked out long in advance of the official release of this EP in a review from back in April last year – if you haven’t read that, click here & catch yourself up! Suffice it to say here in the context of the Adeline EP, “Eyes Wide Shut” slides right into this lineup with zero issues. I love the mix of like…oh I dunno what you’d even call it…shifting moods I suppose. It’s like Torin sings this half this song with a serious chip on his shoulder, the other half spent in the bliss of serene melody – and no matter which gear you find him in, you’ll find yourself hanging onto his every word. Two things essentially can be, and are true here: One being that “Eyes Wide Shut” is one of my personal favorites from this selection of five tracks, and the other being that ALL five tracks are my favorites, and deliver consistent quality in songwriting & sound like you just won’t believe ‘til ya hear it. YES…I’m saying that you absolutely cannot lose no matter what song you choose to listen to here on the Adeline EP…I’m tellin’ ya the set-list is flawlessly designed, perfectly executed, and stocked entirely full of tangible uniqueness sure to get the wheels turning in your thoughts & stirring the emotions in your soul. Torin’s still a relatively new artist on the scene at this point in his career, and its songs like “Eyes Wide Shut” that speak so powerfully on behalf of the innate wisdom of his insightfully poetic words and his genuine perspective as an artist. And then you factor in the mesmerizing beauty of the chorus in this tune…and the way the guitar playfully exits outta the main hooks & the personality revealed in the musicianship to complement the character that continuously radiates from the microphone…I mean, c’mon y’all…I don’t know what most of you out there have accomplished by your first or second records, but I can tell ya firsthand it’s not usually THIS. The Adeline EP stands out from start to finish and never wavers in its focus or the attention to detail – these songs are as vivid as you could ever hope to hear.
Now…I ain’t gonna lie to ya…I almost feel bad for you all when it comes to this final cut, because I’ve got an even more rad version of it coming through my personal playlist over here on this privileged side of the screen. I had to kind of chuckle about it…and believe me, pointing any of this out is just purely all in good fun…but somehow, I ended up with a twelve-minute-plus copy of “Come Home” to end the Adeline EP, whereas the online official version is just a tiny bit over the two & a half-minute mark. Understand that, what Torin was assuredly going for here, was the nod towards the opening intro and bringing this EP back around full-circle to the ambience of where this whole experience began…which is where “Come Home” will finish at the end of its 2:36 in the online version. On MY copy here, I’m proud to say I’ve got about an additional ten-plus minutes of crickets and birds and nature sounds! I honestly couldn’t tell ya if that was intentional – or if someone out there is just trying to see if I’m awake & paying attention – but what I can tell ya is, whether he meant to do it or not, I generally just kept listening every time, lol, because I love the sound. What are ya gonna do? I’m an audiophile, it’s who I am, it’s in my nature – and quite honestly, it brought a smile to my face. Maybe he just left the record button on too long…maybe this was an un-chopped version of the main tune that initially gave him the option for however long he’d wanna have this ambient sound trail off for…or maybe he originally WANTED it to be like this and kick out the nature jams for a ten-minute stretch of audibly organic peace. Who knows? I’m just thankful things like this happen every so often in my experiences with the music-scene out there…it not only keeps things interesting, but stuff like this can make your mind truly turn with all kinds of questions about the process and what goes into it. Was this extra ten-minutes I have from a recording device that was just left out in the woods overnight where Muccino is living right now? Maybe! We might never know – and were it not for this very story here about the extra length that arrived with my copy of “Come Home” – none of you out there might have even been aware of any of this! Think of how much more rich & full your life now is with that added knowledge will ya? You’re welcome. Alright, alright, alright…here’s what you REALLY wanna know though…and that’s that “Come Home” is a solid conclusion to what’s already proven to be an exceptional record by any measure. From the sounds of things, Torin’s picked up the ukulele for this last cut if I’m not mistaken…and maybe he’s just hangin’ out there in the middle of nature, as he sings the spirit & soul of this final cut from Adeline into the night sky & stars above him. You’ll get what you need from the 2:36 online version, I promise ya. Torin’s last tune is a testament to how the most simple & natural ingredients can stack up to supremely incredible & outright fascinating results – “Come Home” brings it home, and finishes off this set of five with the strong ending it deserved, filled with young Muccino’s authentically signature sound.
Listen to the Adeline EP & more music by Torin Muccino at his official page at Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6OtCueXR8hEKF4sowK41Ll
Check out Torin Muccino at Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/torin-muccino/1436241919
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