Adeline

Straight from the Heart of Texas, Adeline’s first release on Quiet Records has captured the afflicted nature of living in a place like Waco, Texas.  Both heartwarming and haunting in music and lyrics, John Perkins has attempted to marry old with new in song structure, instrumentation and subject matter.  

Recorded at home in 2003, Perkins sought an outlet for songs passed over or outside bounds set by his then current band Quiet, Lovely.  Playing the instruments, engineering, and mastering the CD himself yielded a feeling of warmth and familiarity prevalent throughout the album.

However, the songs themselves give the listener a real glimpse into the dichotomy of life on the Brazos.  “House on Adeline” opens the disc with a lament to old friends and a welcome to change housed in a country shell, while “An Interesting Resolution” is almost uncomfortable in its candor in exposing a failed marriage.  A chorus of voices and melancholy guitar pay tribute to favorite Christmas carols in “All the Angels” while the happy sounding “Let Me In” relates the regret of forceful discipline captured in a bridge of simple xylophone and hauntingly welcome foot stomps. 

Live performances by Adeline incorporate various members of bands local to Waco and Austin who associate voluntarily to promote music and community.  The group calling themselves the Waco Co-op truly collaborates to bring new life to these songs when performed in front of an audience.  Hailing members of Quiet, Lovely, American Culture eXperiments, Loxsly, and Stories from the Frontier among others, Adeline’s live show brings out the folk roots hinted at in the CD.

Whether heard live or on the CD, the songs of Adeline’s first release welcome listeners into the family surrounding Waco, Texas.