Colleen Green – Sock It to Me
Rating: 
It seems like girl pop and grungy lo-fi are some of the hippest genres at this stage of the musical world, so Colleen Green really fits the bill. Sock It To Me combines both the grittiness of lo-fi records as well as the lyricism of typical teenage girly pop all in one neat and concise package of a 10 track, 34 minute record.
At first, it may not seem to be a record that really grabs you. On the first track “Only One,” everything is there to love, but the sound may come across as a bit intangible and far away due to the synthesized backing drums, the high pitched ultimate girl vocals of Green herself, and fairly monotonous gritty guitar. The song comes across as a younger band trying to pass itself off as older. However, after the first track is out of the way, you’ll find it easier to get to know and enjoy Sock It To Me, as “Time In the World” goes along with a more youthful, bouncy vibe that suits Colleen Green better. Most of the other tracks from here on out follow this trend, which works fairly well for Green.
The album moves right along, bouncing from gritty minimalist pop track to gritty minimalist pop track, one after the other. There are certain moments that shine above the simplicity, such as “Heavy Shit,” the shortest song on the whole album. It rages through its 2:14 time, with hyper active drum machine and furious guitar in tow. Though snappily short and sweet, it is a good direction for Green; the minimalist lyrics are matched by the duration and fast pace that screams youth. However, along with this youthful vibe, there really isn’t much to offer on here lyrically, other than stereotypically whiny teenage girl problems. Which evokes some of the same basic boyfriend imagery akin to that of Bethany Cosentino and early Best Coast. That’s not to say the songs aren’t catchy or fun to listen to, but if depth is what you are looking for, you’ve turned to the wrong album.
If you can get past this lack of depth and just focus on the simple and catchy guitar riffs, then you are set to love Sock It To Me, but like other albums of this playful nature, it certainly isn’t for everyone. Some people may never be able to connect to the music here, but others may find something fun to jam to.
