The components are simple: A guitar, a drum machine, and a woman with songs and a voice worthy of singing them. But I think we all know that many such combinations may not result in something that resembles art. Fortunately, on her new EP for Hardly Art, Sock it to Me, Colleen Green's version of the combination approaches magic. Green takes the twee, DIY garage ethic of The Vaselines, Beat Happening and Tiger Trap, combines it with some '60s girl-group vocals and sentiments, and then warps it into a unique package of rhythms, power chords and an angel's voice. The lyrics deal with real life in an un-jaded, accepting manner, and with a refreshing economy of words. Green, an unapologetic lover of weed, calls it stoner pop, but I caution anyone about dismissing it based on a two word description.
I was sold on this disc by the opening track. She performs it live below:
Green covers good boyfriends, bad boyfriends, the urge to withdraw from people and "Heavy Shit" (track 7) with clear eyes and a sense of humor. And even when the lyrics are dark, they don't beg for sympathy; Green knows we've all been through it too. The melodies and chord progressions are simple, but they are packed with earworm potential, and I've found myself humming them at various times over the past couple of weeks.
Green is from Massachusetts but resides in California. Her past recorded output was a well-received mixtape titled Milo Goes to Compton and a few shorter releases. She also has drawn some cartoons.
Sock it to Me is out now on Hardly Art. And it is quite completely, art.
Twitter ( @colleengreen420 )
Bandcamp
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Hardly Art page for Colleen Green
I've been listening to this (and Milo) all day. The fuzzed out simplicity reminds me of the Jesus and Mary Chain circa Darklands.
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