Tag Archives: Adrian Croom

“Expected Closure” from Underwater Orchestra – Album Review

December 4th, 2012 | Robot, Space

Underwater Orchestra

“Expected Closure” is the 12-song debut album from synth pop band, Underwater Orchestra. I first heard the record a few weeks back on Eklektikos, a great radio show hosted by John Aielli on KUT Austin, and I’ve wanted to do a review ever since. Adrian Croom, an artist hailing from Austin, TX, is the force behind the group, which formed back in 2007.  I’ve been a fan of Adrian’s music since his debut album Sub Яosa was released last year and thankfully, “Expected Closure” didn’t disappoint. This time around, Adrian’s exploding synth melodies are backed by live guitar, drums, trumpet, and violin from a slew of talented artists including Jon McMahan (currently on tour with Caspian), Ira Henderson, Gonzalo Hernando, Roberto Riggio, and Isaac Pena.

“Expected Closure” is a journey, or rather a quest, into the world of alien soundscapes, video game synth, and tribal beats, woven together with the warmth of violin and trumpet.  Many vocal-less albums feel monotonic, but this album faces no such fate.  Songs like ‘Proteus’ with its crashing cymbals and uplifting horns could set the stage for even the most heroic cinematic sequences, while the machine-like march of ‘Intrusion’ might be played at The Singularity by our future robot overlords, and I’ve recently been listening to the acoustic guitar riffs of ‘Vacancy’ as a soft, wakeup jam.  I suppose what I’m trying to say is that this is the type of album you hope to find when sifting through the vastness of the electronic music genre – a wonderfully eclectic collection of songs, from start to finish.

I’m hoping to check these guys out in person sometime in the near future.  They play around the Austin area pretty regularly, and I’ve heard rumors they may have an international tour in the works, so stay tuned.

If you’re interested, you can pick up the album here or learn more about Adrian Croom and the rest of Underwater Orchestra here.

Adrian will also be doing an interview with KUT Austin on December 19th at 10AM, and there is a CD release party planned for Saturday, January 19th, at El Sol y La Luna in Austin, TX.

-RSB