Press

Press for Dugu Wolo

“Klein’s natural tendency as a songwriter is to lean into the dusty and rustic, playing acoustic country with a folk influence. His 2006 debut Distant Music and 2008 follow-up Western Tales & Trails find a songwriter with an easy grip on storytelling and American traditions… Though Klein may be a fish out of water- or a log in a Malian river- he’s found a way to bridge the inspiration he feels in rural West Africa with the sense of community Athens is known for.”
- Chris Hassiotis, Georgia Music Magazine

The Huffington Post/ Flagpole Magazine/ Worldview Magazine/ Africa is a Country/ Afropop Worldwide/ Scrambler

Praise for Wounded Electric Youth

“Wounded Electric Youth is a bold move for Adam Klein… one of the finest albums of the year. This is a treasure trove of song writing. Klein displays a sense of subtlety rare in the ego driven world of the modern music scene. The art of storytelling which was so prominent in Klein’s last album “Western Tales and Trails” is again present here and comes to the fore in “Of Pirates and Vagabonds”, while the imagery and colour portrayed throughout the album is a delight. “12th and Porter” brings the album to a close as if at the end of a long, but wholesome journey… Classy. It is a confident and assured step forward for Klein…”
- Americana UK (9*)

“Short list for best album of the year.. a songwriter and interpreter in a state of grace and constant growth, a name to follow absolutely.”
- Roots Highway

“One step further in his artistic evolution… Klein is a brilliant songwriter and storyteller… [Wounded Electric Youth]’s beauty and strength lie in the quiet, subtle narrative work which manages to touch your deepest soul.”
- Rootstime

“With Athens, Georgia-based songwriter Adam Klein’s well-executed third release, Adam takes us through a variety of songs, several stemming from the wonder and angst in finding the right girl in achingly poignant vignettes, yet bolstered by his rough-tinged and rootsy musical backdrop. Alongside this exploration are songs like “Wayward Son,” where he takes off as the wanderer in search of his own truth, and in the opening cut knows how to celebrate and relax into the joys of a southern summer life with “Driftin’”. Klein steps a bit more outside of himself with the melodically captivating and sung “Of Pirates and Vagabonds”– dipping back into history and into the English & Celtic traditions of sea ballads. I’m assuming he made it up to Nashville for the evocative “12th & Porter” where an “old wood guitar plays and everybody sings along” and where the likes of Mindy Smith cut her musical teeth. Expertly packaged, from concept to the nostalgic packaging and artwork, Adam Klein has found his footing and firmly established himself as an artist on the rise.”
- Kari Estrin, Sing Out! Magazine

“Balanced.. Klein’s songwriting is evocative.. the devil’s in the details they say and this recording has that in spades.”
- Beat Surrender

“Adam Klein is a singer/songwriter with a rural sound (dig that Harvest-era pedal steel!) and a Dylan/Earle sense of poetic lyricism”
- Connect Savannah

“Covers the entire idiom, ranging from country soul to country-pop, rustic country folk to light-gritty country rock.”
- Altcountry.nl

“Music of warmth and character.. a gentle treat for ravaged souls.”
- Flyin Shoes

“A combination of Americana, folk rock, and indie pop, singer-songwriter Adam Klein’s third release is lighthearted and nostalgic, putting forth the theme of introspection and soul-searching through picture-painted storytelling… The bold production, luminous melodies, and engaging anecdotes of summertime (“Driftin’”), unrequited love (“Anna, You Were Supposed to be Mine”), and subsequent longing (“Wayward Son”), along with vibrant imagery in the realm of Ryan Adams, Tim Easton, and Matt the Electrician are among the multitude of positive attributes that make Wounded Electric Youth an absolute pleasure to listen to… A beautiful effort, natural-born storyteller Klein has crafted a cohesive, elaborate, and expertly layered coming-of-age document.”
- Performer Magazine

“Although the roots renaissance has been riding in on some degree of pop experimentations, the results that I’ve heard remain largely purist. While the country and bluegrass crowd continues to dangle their toes into the pool of pop, Klein has calmly walked past them and dived directly into the deep end with all his clothes still on. ‘Tired Afternoon (Out For Love)’ has all the mellow markings of a mid-1970s Neil Young or James Taylor – soft, lush, spacious… The bouncing melody and female harmonies in ‘To Be A Loner’ shine like a beacon to lure the more purist roots artists deeper into pop waters. Anything that sounds this fun has to be good for you! But purists aren’t so easily lured. Meeting them half way, Klein shows them he is capable of the most haunting traditionals while keeping his pop hat on in the 7+ minute epic, ‘Of Pirates & Vagabonds’.”
- Basement Rug

“Southern living is good living. Backyard barbecues, little league baseball, red clay dirt, and porch swings. The days are warm, the nights are warmer, and good vibes abound. Such is the mood conjured by Athens, Georgia-based singer-songwriter Adam Klein on his latest release, Wounded Electric Youth. Singing in a warm, rich voice and backed by near-perfect musicianship, Klein anchors these 12 tracks around an air of familiarity, providing the soundtrack for a day of southern, small-town sampling. Klein echoes his alt-country influences-“Anna (It Was Supposed to be Me)” and “Griffin’s Song” breeze along like Steve Earle deep cuts, “Call My Name” and “Wayward Son” recall recent Son Volt, and the delicate wordplay of “Fairy Tale” brings to mind Josh Ritter. Klein also takes a couple of detours from the song’s rustic themes and peers into his protagonists’ wounded psyche who pine for lost love, last goodbyes, and final shots at redemption. It is with these themes that Klein’s lyrics ring truest… Like his influences, Klein’s characters know that beneath the cheerful veneer of southern hospitality there is sometimes pain and longing that needs to escape. With Wounded Electric Youth, Klein illustrates this concept well.”
- Glide Magazine

Praise for Western Tales & Trails

“Brilliant album”
- Rootsville

“Compelling stories from a gifted storyteller… Klein has found a rich vein of songwriting material and mined it with extraordinary skill… incredible stuff, a distillation of wide and tasteful influences that still manages to speak in its own compelling voice… recalling Paul Simon but imbued with the wide eyed spirit of Neil Young”
- Americana UK

“[Klein’s] star is on the rise… This troubadour from Athens, Georgia, plays Americana, country, and folk rock once again set to beautiful lyrics, often much avowed and strikingly poetic. Townes Van Zandt, Mark Olson, Steve Earle and Josh Ritter come to mind spontaneously upon listening to Klein’s soul-moving performance.”
- CtrlAltCountry

“[S]urprisingly strong album by the young singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia… Klein succeeds in leaving behind a great impression through finely detailed lyrics and an excellent accompanying band… Storytelling is an art which Klein masters”
- Kindamuzik

“His songs… fall squarely in the storytelling tradition of such gifted writers as Townes Van Zandt and David Olney. Listening to the Athens, Georgia, artist’s material is sometimes like stepping into a sepia-toned photograph, or through the swinging doors of a saloon.”
- Russell Hall, No Depression

“Adam Klein serves up nicely-done, understated Americana… evokes prime Band and later-period Byrds”
- Jeff Clark, Stomp & Stammer

“Klein’s got the grit of a seasoned pro as he pays homage to a time long past with impeccable charm and grace.”
- Alec Wooden, Athens Blur Magazine

“Western Tales & Trails is a mix of dark lyrics, surrounded by an upbeat tempo, and Jim White vocal styling”
- Lithium Radio

Praise for Distant Music

“On Distant Music, Adam Klein plays his role of a singer-songwriter who isn’t quite folk, and isn’t quite alt.country, but rather nestled nicely between the two. With the sweet opener, “St. Paul,” he walks that fine line and ends up with a sound resembling Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner. On the acoustic-laced “Restless Soul” and the barren “Dusty Rose” he works in the vein of Tim Easton or others of that fine ilk. Klein rarely ventures out of this comfort zone, instead nailing tunes like “Full Moon Night” out of the park with its subtle pedal steel accents. It’s the sort of music you’d hate to hear in a bar because people would be idiotically talking over tunes such as “Visions Of Faith” with its close, hushed feeling running throughout it. The same can be said for “Truck Stop Love,” the somewhat warm and folksy “Walkin’” that shines bright, and the Nebraska-ish album highight, “Bound To Roam.” Distant Music is a great album, but one that will sadly fall under most people’s radar.”
- Glide Magazine

“… an engaging debut that’s as reliable and uncomplicated as a stout cup of coffee. It’s a fun, unpretentious batch of originals that suits this decade as well as any of the previous four.”
- Flagpole Magazine

“Distant Music… holds enough quality to grow into a leading roll of its genre.”
- JacobVisser.nl

“What a beauty! With thirteen songs this newcomer is already keeping us for days in a spell of wonder… With closed eyes it is not difficult to picture exactly what the songwriter means to convey. Just imagine Klein, for the occasion accompanied by his acoustic guitar, sitting at dusk at the banks of the Niger, plucking away at his instrument and timidly breaking the silence with newly arranged tunes.”
- Ctrlaltcountry.be

“Beautiful, thrilling… sincere narratives. [Klein] brings a pure song with a rare sincerity and intensity seldom heard in today’s music”
- Freddy Celis, Rootstime

“Klein is exploring standard themes common to most songwriters. However, the fact that his songs are so obviously well-crafted, and the fact that his presentation— an engaging voice and quiet, acoustic country meets early-Dylanesque folk arrangements— ensures that Klein rises above the pack.”
- Sing Out!

“Klein has a poet’s soul”
- Frank Gutch, Jr., Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange

“… an album steeped in the cosmic cowboy music of the late 1960s to early 1970s. Think Neil Young’s loping country beat from Harvest and the harmonies of The Band. You can hear familiar echoes of musicians like Woody Guthrie, Guy Clark and Bob Dylan… As with Dylan during his domestic period (1968-74), Klein’s songs reflect a life being lived… one part Planet Waves and one part Travels with Charlie.”
- Warren McQuiston, Southeast Performer Magazine