5 / 10
Admirably, electronic art-punks Adult. won’t give an inch. Nearly a decade on from their debut single, ‘Why Bother?’ is as cuddly as a migraine. Nicola Kuperus’ voice is a shrill, melodramatic Siouxsie Sioux harangue. Synths, guitars and drum-machines drill and hiss with all the grey frustration of 1982, while Adult.’s worldview is best summed up by ‘Inclined To Vomit’. They make Miss Kittin & The Hacker sound like The Chuckle Brothers. Over 14 tracks it can seriously grate, yet there are times when Adult.’s disgust reaches a feverish pitch and ‘Why Bother?’ sparkles. ‘I Feel Worse When I’m With You’ and ‘Herd Me’ are fractured, dissonant pep pills; uneasy, alarming jolts that pump the blood. But unless you’re a fan, the title says it all.
Tony Naylor
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