Listen: Adeline Hotel - "Habits"

photo by Chris Bernabeo

Much like Wilder Maker, Cassandra Jenkins, and Ben Seretan, my introduction to Adeline Hotel, the project of fellow New York based singer/songwriter Dan Knishkowy, was the direct result of my mounting interest in the music of Will Stratton after discovering Stratton through his fourth full length album Post-Empire. Although aware of singer/songwriter Dan Knishkowy through his association with Stratton and his community of equally talented singer/songwriters, I hadn't taken more than an incredibly casual listen to his output until Will Stratton mentioned he was engineering the new Adeline Hotel record: their second such collaboration that began on Knishkowy's It's Alright, Just The Same.

With "Habits", the first single from the upcoming Adeline Hotel record away together, Knishkowy enlists the services of his community of musician friends in order to hoist his own talents ever upward. With Jenkins guesting on backing vocals, Wilder Maker's Sean Mullins' on drums, Seretan, Stratton, and Knishkowy himself all on guitar duties with Stratton also providing piano, it's a veritable who's who of talent. But as it should be, the real star is Knishkowy who offers up a breezy slice of soft rock with pleasantly understated hooks for his triumphant return. Essentially made up of much of the crew of behind his last couple records, "Habits" both refines what works so well for country-leaning folk rock of Adeline Hotel while also throwing in a few newer elements to keep everything interesting. Knishkowy's often reveled in lyrics of the more melancholic sort but "Habits" (though it's presented with sense of trepidation) captures Adeline Hotel and Knishkowy at arguably their happiest. Knishkowy seems to be of the opinion that you can't rely on happiness to linger on forever and engages it with a sort of cautious awe at the simplicity of it all. Knishkowy's isn't distrustful of the feelings themselves just the ease of it. "Isn't that enough - what if I could be so happy now?" Knishkowy asks again and again and it's endearing in it's carefully plodded optimism. Whether the rest of away together will be as rooted in the ephemeral nature of happiness is anyone's guess but "Habits" reveals Knishkowy's game to explore new songwriting avenues and the result is a song that glides by with effortless ease while remaining ear-catching and engaging while it do so.



away together, the new full length record from Adeline Hotel is out October 26th on Ruination Record Co. You can pre-order the record now through the Adeline Hotel Bandcamp.