As soon as I saw the edgy yet gorgeous cover art of pop genius Adam Tyler’s album, Shattered Ice, I knew I was in for a real treat. I love when I prove myself right. Featured as the second best album of 2011 on ElectroQueer’s music blog, I knew I would have to check it out for myself.
The project is a true delight, sticking to the pop genre than unfortunately many males do not have control over these days. Tyler impressed me with “I Won’t Let You Go” and its accompanying music video before I purchased the eleven track album (minus the acoustic tracks) and it did not disappoint. Vocals and style are true highlights. Make way for another form of male pop dominance.
From what I have been gathering, the album starts with soon-to-be next single, “Like A Drug”, which is reminiscent of auto-tune queen Ke$ha’s track that bares a similar name. Tyler is describing a love that is taking complete control of his life, the way a drug addict lives his life, he wants someone to please him. The song carries a pop/rock sound, an interesting and intriguing way to start the project. I like what I hear so far.
One of my favorite moments is the revengeful “Pull The Trigger”, a track dedicated to someone who did the singer wrong—I do not want to be in that path of destruction. Tyler makes sure to explain he is no delicate angel, do not get on his bad side. The entire performance comes together perfectly thanks to the artist’s great vocals, they get to shine nicely. A song of hate is a nice follow-up to one of pure love.
The sexy and seductive “Music Freak” makes it clear that the artist does not want someone to love, just someone to dance the night away. The track is a perfect club jam; the beat is infectious, not really heard before and just plain good. Tyler claims that music is sex in the club and that is exactly how I view this freaky song. The track shows the artist can surely command a dance floor.
“Touch”, the shortest track off the album, is one that did not impress me as much as the preceding track because I feel it had no room to grow. The vocals are low and sexual, a real turn on, but the writing is what keeps the song from reaching full potential. What you hear is nothing to criticize, it is actually a nice piece, but there is not too much there.
The title track, “Shattered Ice”, had me thinking of Britney Spears’ “Shattered Glass” before it even played, but what I heard is on the pop princess’ level of greatness. The song deals with a broken relationship, pointing out where it went wrong. The bruises and lies can never fix love and it seems that Adam sees this as well. Great vocal progression, catchy production is featured on a great number about heartache.
“I Won’t Let You Go” helped me come across Adam when I was surfing YouTube, and I am glad I found the beautiful ballad. Tyler seems to be head over heels for a special someone and confesses his love in front of a fast-paced beat. The verses are perfect, they show true emotion, but the power lies in the chorus which I keep on repeating. The song was early evident of true talent.
The second half of the album kicks off with “What You Want”, a song describing a person in charge, but that person is not Tyler. Adam takes the role of a slave, begging for commands from the one he cares for. Metaphors about robots and programming are a bit of a turn on and I must say that I find the track quite enjoyable. The sexual meaning is turned down, but it is clearly evident.
“Forgive Me” is a straight up apology to the one in Tyler’s life that he hurt. The artist wants it known that he is sorry for what he did, all the wrong that he caused. Tragedies and backstabbing are discussed in a song that really hits home for me. You can hear the truth and sincerity in the artist’s voice which makes the impact of the song that much stronger.
I am all for songs about despair and heartbreak, but for some reason “Taking Back My Love” did not really do it for me. The highlight of the track is the chorus, which carries a powerful punch, but the verses are a letdown. If there was one song that I would count as simply filler then this track would take that title. It is not bad, but it is nothing special either.
“Let Me Breathe” contains a sort of dark intro and keeps that vibe throughout. Tyler seems to have a stalker that haunts him even in his dreams. The artist is in a relationship that he cannot escape even though he wants to. He is asking for space on the pop influenced track that had my attention from the beginning. I could picture the song in a horror film about a psychopath; a perfect fit.
The album closes with the longest track, “Emergency”, where the artist is pleading for a doctor and a rescue. Once again Tyler is comparing love to a drug and it seems like the drug won here. The song is very cute and does contain a distinct pop sound. The dubstep sounding breakdown towards the middle sets it apart from the rest of the album, but the use of the genre is unfortunately being overused.
Shattered Ice is a solid and impressive debut album from a male pop artist. The pop airwaves are being dominated by Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna, but Adam Tyler seems like he could give them all a run for their money. His effort is filled with pop gold that shines thanks to the sultry vocals that are heard from beginning to end. The album starts off strong and keeps that momentum all the way through, with only one real stumble alone the way. The project deals mostly with love and heartbreak, but Tyler is able to take the material and turn it into something truly amazing beautiful. The album receives an 86%, very high for an unknown.
Tracks to Hear: “Pull the Trigger”, “I Won’t Let You Go”, “What You Want” and "Forgive Me"
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