We’ve come to know Adam + Attack By Fire (led by songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Adam Tarsitano) as a genre chameleon as he released single after single that took his style in different directions.
By Graeme Smith
His latest release is something of a departure. For one, it continues in a genre that we have heard from him before – country. For two, it is an LP, bringing together ten tracks from a total of twenty crafted for the album.
Country Fired, Pt. 1 sees Tarsitano delving deeper into the roots of country music, bringing us blues, rockabilly, and honky-tonk. It is also a collection that truly shows us who Tarsitano is as an artist. We get jauntiness, grittiness, and the uniqueness across all the album’s tracks.
Tarsitano can render the familiar in a surreal light in his lyrics and across Country Fired, he tackles themes of romance, philosophy, and the macabre. Lighter moments like Stay With Me Now are contrasted with darker ones like Sixteen Bullets. The latter proves a highlight through its gripping storytelling.
What seems to run through it all is a sense of fateful hedonism. We Don’t Do That Here is another highlight thanks to its tale of fishing, flirting, and class warfare. The album will probably be best remembered for the pure joy of Mumble Beer which caps things off with a singalong chorus.
We’ve been covering the work of Adam + Attack By Fire since 2024, delighting in his string of unexpected singles. When I chatted to him in an interview last year, I asked why he had stuck doggedly to singles. His response was “I don’t stay in any one genre for too long. Singles just feel more in keeping with that” before adding “but who knows? I may be inspired to write an album one of these days.”
One of these days has arrived and Tarsitano’s first full effort is as delightfully surprising as his singles have been. No doubt a ‘part two’ of Country Fired is on its way and I do find myself wondering if he’ll settle into country folk from here on out. Something tells me that won’t be the case.
If you want to keep up to date with all he’s doing, you can by heading to his website, and by following him on Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Country Fired, Pt.1 is out now, and you can listen to it below.
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