Known for his work in The Mustangs, Adam Norsworthy is a well-respected singer-songwriter in his own right. With three solo albums already under his belt, and strong critical acclaim for his skills as both guitarist and lyricist, Adam is a musician of the old school, believing in hard work and dedication (as evidenced by his work with Friday and The Milk Men alongside his other ventures). Infinite Hotel, Adam’s latest work sees Adam working with a remarkable band, including the excellent Wayne Proctor (drums), Oli Brown (bass), Bennett Holland (Hammond, keys, piano) and Rich Young (piano keys). With the redoubtable Proctor performing double duty as producer alongside Adam, the album has a strong, clear production that sees every element rendered with impressive depth and clarity, making Infinite Hotel Adam’s most expansive album to date.
Despite the trippy artwork, infinite Hotel opens with the sunny day vibes of Bridges To The Moon, which takes an AC/DC riff and pairs it with a breezy melodic core and “whoo whoo” backing vocals. It’s a light-touch start to the album, neatly followed by the sparky Now I’ve Got Your Love, which takes an arpeggiated synth line and throws in distorted vocals for a touch of grit. However, by the time we get to the chorus, it’s all synth swells and King King pop nous, keeping things very much in the radio-friendly arena. Turn Your Love Around maintains the easy vibe of its predecessor, with its loose beat and squelchy organ punctuated by stabs of tasteful lead guitar (courtesy of Oli), reminiscent of Clapton’s late-90s output such as Pilgrim. Next up, the bluesy In Time I Will Forget You arguably allows the piano too close to the front of the mix to really bite in the way the lyric demands, but it has a strong melody and will undoubtedly go down a storm live when the guitars are allowed off the leash a little more. The Clapton vibe returns on the acoustic-led Lost In The Cinema, a track that uses the dark anticipation of a night at the movies as a metaphor for the drama of life unfolding in front of you.
With a luxurious backdrop, Rise With You offers up hints of AMLOR Pink Floyd, along with glimpses of AOR acts like Foreigner. A pop-rock ballad, it feels like a long-lost hit from the eighties, and the soaring solo of the climax, which sees Oli once more on lead, is worth the price of admission alone. In contrast, the breezy You’re My Song has an up-tempo vibe reminiscent of the New Radicals, only for more introspective I May Not be Here In The Morning to calm things right down once more. A simple, picked lament it strips the production back, allowing Adam’s confessional lyrics to come to the fore, although the band soon return to the fray to add depth to the piece. The driving pop-rock of Jericho sees Adam leading his band in a final charge toward the album’s conclusion, passing through the wistful, No Man-esque Meet Me At Midnight (all watery Mellotron and surf-inflected guitar) to arrive at closing number Bullet Proof Man. A sedate finale with violin from Amy Heggart adding a dusky, country vibe to proceedings, Bullet Proof Man quietly rounds out the album with a hint of Neil Young.
An impressive artist surrounded by an equally talented supporting cast, Adam Norsworthy has crafted a strong album in Infinite Hotel that, in years gone by, would have had no trouble at all in breaking into the charts. Both Adam and co-producer Wayne Proctor have an ear for a radio-friendly hook, and there’s both gloss and depth to the album that will have Adam’s fans in raptures. Ultimately, with eleven varied and vibrant tracks, Infinite Hotel does a neat job of summarising Adam’s career to date and, with its polished production, it’s easy to imagine a whole new audience awakening to his charms. 9/10
