Rob Duguay -The Call

Providence via Woonsocket indie rock trio The Adjuncts have been fairly prolific with their creative output since vocalist & guitarist Adam Hogue, bassist James Berthiaume and drummer Jason Dolbec started the band during the mid-2010s. With this being said, it’s been three years since they’ve released an original studio recording. This is strange for an act that has a ton of various releases under their belt, but the strangeness ceased to be back on January 24. That was when they put out their new album “The Book of Secrets” while signaling their re-arrival into the local music scene. Like The Adjuncts’ previous recordings, the album is another installment of the trio’s signature quirky sound with amplified riffs, energetic rhythms and a cohesive approach.

The making of the album was initially an exchanging of ideas among Hogue, Berthiaume and Dolbec with the subject matters revolving around a series of emotions that were felt over the past few years. After some fine tuning, the band then enlisted a friend of theirs to put on the final touches to create the finished product.

“‘The Book of Secrets’ is a kicked around batch of songs that we were sending back and forth over the past three years,” Hogue says about the album. “At times they sat shelved, at other times we got together, played the tunes, talked about them and recorded and then put them back on a shelf. Then a couple of months ago, Jason decided to just go all in and finish the job. What we ended up with was a collection of tunes borrowing from different moods over the past three years. They were written quickly and with each return to them, parts were added spontaneously, almost as one-take improvisations. The tracks were mastered by our friend Dave Savage and he always has a way of making them sound full and powerful."

There’s a sound quality present within “The Book of Secrets” that’s very raw and unpolished, but that’s exactly how The Adjuncts like to present their music. It’s an honest and genuinely DIY approach to recording that doesn’t require any fancy production techniques or any nonsensical pizzazz. This is what makes the band stand apart from their local contemporaries and it’s also what makes the new album give off a different listening experience. It’s apparent within the tracks “ADHD”, “What’s Cool?” and “The Birds are Going to Love Me for This”. This is especially the case for the latter with Hogue shredding a killer guitar solo towards the end.

The new album from The Adjuncts is a welcome return for a band that isn’t afraid to be themselves and aren’t afraid to pump up the volume at various instances. It’s an example of artistic consistency, musical fearlessness and substantial progression that definitely deserves a listen. To do just that and perhaps even make a purchase of “The Book of Secrets”, log on to the band’s Bandcamp page at adjuncts.bandcamp.com. While you’re navigating the page, check out the other recordings from The Adjuncts as well.