LOWER EAST SIDE, NY—Vocalist/guitarist Adam Agin of Anderson, Indiana, along with guitarist William T. Cook, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, four years ago formed a progressive folk band called Neulore in Nashville, Tennessee. The name Neulore derived from the German word for “New” and an abbreviation of the English word “folklore.” This past September, Neulore released a concept EP, Apples & Eve, which consists of seven songs that outlined the Garden of Eden story from Adam’s perspective.
Neulore opened for Elizabeth & The Catapult tonight at the Mercury Lounge and made an impressive New York debut. The indie band skillfully took the basic framework of American folk-rooted music to another dimension, sort of a John Mellencamp with the energetic and bombastic dynamics of early U2. Agin sang soulfully, and Cook provided resilient harmonies. Electronic keyboards and a rhythm section filled out the full sound and leaned toward a Jersey Shore wall-of-sound effect.
For the final song, Agin and Cook brought acoustic guitars into the audience as a duo and sang a final song unplugged, showcasing their folk roots and luscious harmonies in a more intimate, living room environment. In all, Neulore’s rich vision for contemporary folk music was captivating and showed promise of a wider audience appeal.
For more information on Neumore, go to neulore.com.
