By Griffin Brammer, staff writer
Latch Relay, an album by the late vine star Adam Perkins, has made its way into the spotlight as fans seek comfort in light of his recent passing.
In the wake of Vine star and musician Adam Perkins’ death at 24, his twin brother Patrick shared Adam’s plans to re-release his 2018 album.
The album, Latch Relay, will be released under Plas Teg Records, a label founded by Patrick and named after his late brother’s musical alias, in order to fulfill Adam’s musical vision.
In doing my part to keep the social media legend’s memory alive, I wanted to dive into Latch Relay and shine light on Perkins’ unknown music career. The first song, “The Structure,” boldly sets the tone for the rest of the album with its hypnotic guitar and keyboard melodies. You can’t help but feel a sense of calm radiate from your speakers.
Then, Perkins’ soulful voice peeks in, almost like a ghost. He sings a short but sweet chorus that seems like nonsense, but is about watching a movie with the one he loves.
The smooth and low-key sound carries over to the next song, “The Engine,” where the listener has the pleasure of hearing more of Perkins’ voice.
Over the jazzy piano and snare, Perkins sings about his sexuality, his boyfriend and the car crash that separated them. While the song doesn’t clarify if Perkins’ boyfriend died or had to leave him, it is clear that, as Perkins picks up the pace, he truly loved this man.
This relationship forever changed his life. Then the song ends abruptly, fading out to the sounds of traffic on a city street.
“Redwood Reverie” is the album’s most popular song, and deviates the most from the formula of previous songs.
Starting off with a woodsy-sounding guitar riff, this song feels more folk than jazz or funk. Although this seemingly comes out of nowhere, I think it truly serves to show how versatile Perkins’ music is. The song still lends itself to the chill-natured vibe of the rest of the album, and the lyrics can best be described as “beautiful nonsense.”
The final song on the album, “Man and the Sea”, is a powerful closer. Starting with a familiar and striking piano melody, coupled with an orchestra of strings, “Man and the Sea,” has a forceful opening and engaging middle section.
Though it is one of a few songs on the album without lyrics, the cool, striking jazz tune never fails to mesmerize. Symbolically, this song may just be the most important, as it was a joint composition by Perkins and his brother. Considering how close the twins were in real life, it’s a bittersweet ending to a phenomenal album.
It’s easy to look at Perkins’ legacy as the guy who shouted “Welcome to Chili’s” in his underwear. Latch Relay juxtaposes this legacy and reminds us that there are two sides to every person.
Perkins’ music is haunting in its beauty. It may come off as experimental, but with its raw production comes raw emotion. There are eight songs in total, each unique in their sound and none failing to disappoint.
The album is the kind of thing you listen to on a rainy night and feel like you’ve gained new insight on the world.
It’s a perfect monument to the genius of a life cut too short. I hope that, in time, Perkins gets just as much recognition for his music as he did for Vine. Legitimately, 5/5.
You must be logged in to post a comment.