Adrian & the Sickness

Be Your Own Savior (Fantom Records)

Blessed is she who headbangs to the beat of her own drum. Local shredder Adrian Conner, in the process of dropping “the Sickness,” lets her dreads fly on Be Your Own Saviour, an all-but-in-name-only solo debut. The longtime Austin punker opens with dreamy, wordless interlude “Bluespace,” lets rip on “Tightrope & Taboos,” and delivers a sing-along anthem in “Take the World.” Combined, it’s a burst of passion this town is accustomed to; Conner routinely kills it as Angus Young in all-woman AC/DC tribute Hell’s Belles. In terms of pure spirit, Be Your Own Saviour boils deep feelings into digestible verse, but it only comes in chunks of cohesion. “Relaxsleepdream” closes with a pitter-patter of notes and two repeating lines: “When my eyes weren’t so wide/ I learned to cry.” The two-and-a-half minute lullaby frames the album, but that time could’ve been better spent showcasing the veteran’s powerful vocals and her Gibson guitar prowess. An artist with as many miles and as much gumption as Conner must have more to say, so you can bet your ass this isn’t the last you’ll hear from her.

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This article appears in August 8 • 2014.

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