ALBUM REVIEW: An Aquarium Drunkard Presents L'Aventure

An Aquarium Drunkard presents L'Aventure

Today LA-based blog An Aquarium Drunkard releases a tribute comp to Television's Adventure. Titled L'Aventure, the album is a complete-cover record, each song performed by (arguably, truly) eight of LA's fifteen best indie rock bands.

There are a lot of music geeks who take the "Adventure is an under-appreciated classic" stance. I am not one of them. I think it's a perfectly fine record that unfortunately follows one of the all-time greats. (Disclaimer: I consider Marquee Moon the greatest rock record ever recorded.) In this way Adventure is like The Godfather Part III, it's chief weakness an abundance of warmth where none should be.

(J. Neas eloquently argues the contrary, by the way.)

However, it is Adventure's "good, but not great" status that makes it ripe for covering, and An Aquarium Drunkard has picked only the finest fruit. Comps overrun today's new music like randy strawberry plants overrun gardens, but Justin Gage has coordinated some truly impressive organic pairings.

Every track is expertly matched with an artist that deftly draws from a different dimension of Television's rich sound. The Henry Clay People perfectly capture Adventure's reflective tones on "Glory," the album opener. The Happy Hollows mutate "Foxhole" into a Marquee Moon outtake while Imaad Wasif (w/ Lykke Li assisting) takes the listener into an even darker and drearier hole on "The Fire".

But for my money, The Deadly Syndrome steal the show with their cover of "Carried Away," making the song their own more than any other entry on the comp. And props to Local Natives, who elevate the overall professional quality of the collection.

I was impressed with this comp on the first listen. Justin Gage's passion for both the Los Angeles music scene and Adventure really come thorough. The best musical efforts are labors of love, and you can count this among them.

L'Aventure can be downloaded for free, but donations in conjunction with the record go directly to The Silverlake Music Conservatory. (So give a few bucks, will ya?)

DOWNLOAD L'AVENTURE HERE!


An Aquarium Drunkard presents L'Aventure

1. The Henry Clay People - "Glory"
2. Foreign Born - "Days"
3. The Happy Hollows - "Foxhole"
4. Local Natives - "Careful"
5. The Deadly Syndrome - "Carried Away
6. Imaad Wasif (w/ Lykke Li) - "The Fire"
7. Dirt Dress - "Ain't That Nothin'"
8. The Growlers - "The Dream's Dream"