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It seems like only yesterday when Adam Green donned a Peter Pan outfit onstage with his former band, The Moldy Peaches. Since then, he’s gone on to release several solo LPs, with most of them featuring his clever wordplay without ever taking himself too seriously. That being said, Minor Love is his most focused, and probably his most serious album to date; it shows us just how crafty the fellow can be when he puts his mind to it.
“Breaking Locks” opens the album with what appears to be an apology to the masses, as he admits “I’ve been too awful.” It’s interesting to see the man who mocked Jessica Simpson so well show a bit of emotion in regards to his mistakes.
You’ll also notice the influence of other musicians on this album, as Adam tries to step away from the singer-songwriter lifestyle. “Goblin” is one such song, which seems to allude to his relationship with Rodrigo from Little Joy; it’s a song with a touch of tropicalia. “Boss Inside” is similar in the fact that his picking emotes a darker side of things, which is a far cry from his work on Sixes and Sevens. On top of that, his guitar work seems to hop from genre to genre allowing for the album to show some deviation from basic guitar strumming songs. It definitely makes the listening experience for fulfilling than on past efforts.
As you go song to song, you have to give credit where credit is due, as Green’s ability to cleverly unite mundane detail after mundane detail whilst stringing together intricate stories is something at which you can marvel. Not too many artists can make the banalities of everyday existence seem so interesting or heartfelt. If he is destined to only be a one man troubadour, then at least he’s got a solid style that only he seems to perfect.
All that being said, the one drawback from Minor Love is that nothing stands out as exceptional. Your entire listening experience will be enjoyable, though not one that you’ll come back to over and over with desire. I suppose this is always one of the faults with Adam’s solo work; he writes good songs, but he’s yet to sit down and write a great song. Still, you can’t but feel some sort of affiliation with his music, as it comes off as something we all wish to do; Adam Green gives you hope that you too can write such songs of simple wonder.
Still, you can’t discard Minor Love entirely. A tune like “Cigarette Burns Forever” has redeeming qualities that enable you to appreciate the work of Adam Green. You’ll enjoy his songs, and you might even love some of them, but odds are that you’ll just let the record spin quietly in the background while you eat dinner with your friends.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/10-Castles-And-Tassels.mp3]
Download: Adam Green – Castles And Tassels [MP3]
I’ve got a lot of strange respect for Adam Green; he’s somehow managed to make a pretty decent career out of of the madness that was The Moldy Peaches. He made some waves this week with the announcement that he’d be reimagining Aladdin…featuring some Macaulay Kulkin. I didn’t really care until I heard some tracks, which to be honest, wear the simplicity of Green’s music…that always touches home for me. There’s a familiarity in his voice, and while simple, there aren’t too many folks sounding exactly like him. I’m sure there will be some great tunes when he releases the music that accompanies Aladdin…like the below track.
