Much like myself, Adem Dalipi fell in love with the blues as a young man. The difference is he can shred a guitar and I couldn’t play “Polly Wolly Doodle” if my life depended on it. He’s already found a little success, making it through the early auditions on American Idol to perform for the judges, getting some radio play, as well as festival appearances. The music he’s making takes his fondness for the blues and ties it into modern pop, somewhat akin to what John Mayer does.

Adem’s latest song is “Through Another’s Eyes.” It’s an introspective tune about realizing how good you have it when you see your life from another perspective. In this case he’s looking to his parents to find himself. This tells me that Dalipi has figured out a much younger age than I did that your parents often know a lot more about who you are than you think. In that way, the song is also about that relationship between a child and their parents, being kept safe until ready to go out into the world on your own. That Dalipi wrote this song just after graduating high school makes a lot of sense.

“Through Another’s Eyes” also reminds me of another big bluesman who sang a bit about the opposite of that relationship, Eric Clapton on his (nearly) chart-topping hit “My Father’s Eyes.” Dalipi’s take, while similarly reserved, is much more optimistic. Most interestingly, the guitar playing feels fresh and exciting, whereas Clapton, then 35 years into his career, seemed unamused with the instrument. It’s often overlooked in pop music, where so much attention is paid to the beat and vocals, so I’m glad Dalipi keeps it a priority in his work.

This is Adem’s second single release of 2021, following “Sixth Street” back in February. I don’t have any news on an album or anything coming up, but if you want to stay up to date on live shows (finally!!!) or new music, check out his website.