Not only does the banal evil of our time make it difficult to see hope; it also makes it hard to hold onto anger. Apathy replaces rage when exhaustion sets in. The relentlessness of the horror we are forced to witness all around and through our devices desensitises us to its brutality over time.
ADULT., the long-running musical partnership of husband and wife Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller, have held onto rage with impressive poise for over twenty-five years. Kissing Luck Goodbye is another brutal helping of broken beats and snarling vocals, never curdling into total nihilism or defeat. “The chaos is what they want,” Nicola Kuperus repeats on ‘R U 4 $ALE’ as drum machines blast around the mix. Her shouts, here and elsewhere, are a clear statement to hold your ground. Even chants like “no one is coming to your rescue” on ‘No One Is Coming’ are more about self-reliance and community action than despair, when delivered with such free and exciting energy.
This new record, the Detroit duo’s first since Becoming Undone four years ago, is largely similar to what’s come before, though with a subtle tightening of their production and more clarity on Kuperus’ vocals. What keeps it fresh and alive is the density of detail and the group’s invigorating approach to rhythm and sound. You can hear their excitement and enthusiasm as the broken samples and drum hits layer up on the increasingly unhinged ‘No Song’.
The creation of Kissing Luck Goodbye was not easy. Kuperus was dealing with bouts of chronic vertigo, and the band were coping with the loss of their close friend and collaborator Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb, to whom the album is dedicated. The US presidential election only compounded their diminishing faith in the world around them. But the band still search and discover within each song, offering creativity in the face of despondency.
Not all the experiments work. ‘Freaks’ is built from odd vocal samples and unruly synth lines. Its disparate parts are too awkward to gel. In general, and especially on ‘None of It’s Fun’, Kuperus’s fondness for repetition can paint her into a corner as a vocalist. The record begins to fatigue despite its short length.
Still, it ends strong. ‘So Unpleasant’ harkens back to a DIY punk sound, and does it well, drums and guitar laced through their crushed electroclash beats. Then, ‘Destroyers’ closes the record with a final spoken statement of defiance against the powerful. “I will eat your hate,” it ends, rage still there on the tongue. The beat goes on.
