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Mar 05, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Tony Accosta

Listening to LA-based post punk band Adult Books it’s easy to see how large the influence of early British post punk and new wave looms. Writer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Winfrey joined with his childhood friends, Sina Salessi on drums and Alex Galindo on guitar and synths, to fill out the Adult Books lineup. Together the trio revives the jangly guitar hooks of Johnny Marr, dense dark stylings of The Cure, and the meticulous craftsmanship of New Order. Following their 2016 debut, Adult Books have returned with a new set of tracks, the first of which “Grecian Urn,” is premiering with Under the Radar.

“Grecian Urn,” the title track of the band’s upcoming album, is billed by the band as their first attempt to lean into the electronic side of their sound. Rather than guitars, the trio foregrounds a pulsing synth melody as the foundation of the song. Though the melody is soon joined by live drums and winding guitar lines, the insistent pulse and glittering synth tones remain the focus. The result brings to mind the haunting vocals and thick atmosphere of Echo and the Bunnymen but still holds on to the band’s talent for warm new wave hooks.

Nick Winfrey says about the song: “I wrote ‘Grecian Urn’ during a really productive yet destructive period in my life. I would sometimes go days on end without sleeping, writing and recording music all night in my room and then listening to those recordings through headphones over and over again in bed. The lyrics are inspired in part by the ​John Keats​ poem, Ode on a Grecian Urn​, in which the speaker examines the images painted on an ancient vase, exploring what it means to be frozen in a moment of time for all eternity. At the time, I was fresh out of a relationship, unhappy at my job, and uncertain of my future, and could very much relate to the idea of being in limbo, paralyzed by inaction and unsure of how to move forward.” Check out the song and video below, and watch for Grecian Urn, out March 26th on Taxi Gauche Records.