Adrian H and The Wounds have a sound that is sinfully soulful and reminiscent of a night in a velvety dark room full of hallucinations, secrets and song. His voice is dark and icy and evokes impassioned stories of love, faith and loss. His post-goth, dark-glam style stirs up comparisons to Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave and Tom Waits. His lyrics are a reflection of his unorthodox religious upbringing. Adrian H and The Wounds are skilled with the language of violence and sharp wit. They cut to the core and make no apologies like a good Charles Bukowski story. If you like your music with a twist of raw emotion, then don’t miss Adrian H and The Wounds.

Adrian H writes crime scene songs. His self-titled debut with the Wounds features fairytale murders (on the very first track), dirty sex ("Cookies and Cocaine"), molestation ("Smoke") and, frequently shattered love. To say the stories in these eleven tracks are dark and strange doesn't begin to cover it. They're gutter-beautiful, all the more sexy for their seaminess. These tales are filled with implied people, "she" smells like smoke, "she" likes cookies and cocaine, "he" lived in a stump with a family of ticks, "he" has a sin to tell. Victims? or the Villains? It's clear that every one is a little of each.

Remember when parents warned kids about the evils and temptations of Rock'n'Roll? They were talking about bands like Adrian H and the Wounds.

But these aren't just recollections of deeds themselves, there are also those post-coital late evening/very early morning moments of contemplation, need and regret. Songs like "I Only Smile to You" remind you why people start doomed relationships, why they drink even though they know the hangover is inevitable. Of couse ditties like "My House" and "She Won't Leave Me Alone" warn you of the dangers of love and loss... the dangers that often lead to the crimes chronicled in other songs. It's wicked, cyclical trap that we (you, me, the narrator) seem cursed to repeat.

Adrian's voice is perfect for conveying his twisted tales, he has that grave-digger rasp familiar to fans of Tom Waits but with more of a sleazy snarl. He's like the sketchy uncle you don't invite to family dinners anymore because he just doesn't get that somethings are *just not* discussed or DONE at the table.

He's also a hell of a piano player. He knows when to attack with it, catching you off guard or bursting forth with a rollicking barrage that pulls you along with it. He also knows when to pull back or be laid back. He can lull as well as rock. He can be a balladeer or a ballsy, bluesy bastard.

The rest of the band compliments him well. The bass echoes the dread of Adrian's voice, and drummer Broken Heart knows when to fill, when to accent and when to lead the way. He knows his way around a kit and also knows that the best drummers are those who draw you in, not beat you down. I love the occasional inclusion of the saxophone parts, it gives the music a broken jazz feel that somehow completes it.