CD Review

Adam Arcuragi is a 40-watt lightbulb in an otherwise dark room; his low-intensity glow isn’t enough to be fully bright and cheery, but is certainly capable of setting the mood. Over 11 tracks on his eponymous debut, Arcuragi flips those lights on again and again, adorning his mellow, introspective compositions with an exertive vocal style that harbors a distinct optimism. Sparing orchestration accompanies water-filled imagery that splashes across the album, from the swelling beauty of “Delicate” where “Water fills up your throat as soon as you stop singing,” to the reverberating question, “Can it be, the water on the floor seeping out, and damaging the walls,” of “The Dog is Dead, Amen.” The fleeting accompaniment is complimented by gorgeously allusive lyrics. This is more than a debut; it is affirmation that Arcuragi’s light will only burn brighter in the days and years to come.