Little Green Cars – Absolute Zero (18/06/2013)
In a time when headlines and commercial radio stations are dominated by kids dressed up like adults, singing music written by adults for kids, I often find myself looking to the past for new music.
You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that the quintet of musicians in the 'Indie rock' band Little Green Cars have only just reached adulthood. Their debut album Absolute Zero is a stunning display of maturity and shows off skill and talent far beyond their years. Little Green Cars hail from Dublin in Ireland; formed in 2008 when all five members were still in high school. This early start has culminated in a confident and unique sound that can only come with quality time spent together.
The opening track Harper Lee is a perfect introduction of what is waiting for you as you enter this story-like album. Rough chords are accompanied by lead vocalist Stevie Appelbys soft pleading voice that appeals to your inner teenage boy - hopelessly in love with a crush that breaks his heart every day.
It’s not long before you are let in on the bands best kept secret – amazing five part harmonies that separate Little Green Cars from any other band with a similar sound.
Their other surprise package is female co-vocalist Faye O’Rourke. Her booming powerful voice takes the album to a higher level in “my love took me down the river to silence me”,. While I am called by Stevies soft delicate tone, Faye sings at me with earnest power - both are equally as noteworthy.
Perhaps the most intriguing song on the album is Red and Blue in which the band discards their standard guitars and drums for a stripped back electric keyboard sound and auto tuned vocals.
While initially I found the electronic style off putting I have grown to appreciate and love the simple lyrics and overpowering sound and while completely different to the rest of the album red and blue doesn’t lose the beautiful harmonies that I have grown accustomed to while journeying through Absolute Zero.
The lead single of the album, The John Wayne, by far speaks to me the most, it was this song that initially drew me to the band. Musically and lyrically it is the crescendo of the album. It starts with a steady chug of drums and heavy strumming. We are then greeted by the familiar five part harmonies. Then, after a few minutes into the song the tempo picks right up and we are invited to dance and scream the lyrics to our hearts content.
I found myself immersed in a pleasant mix of beautiful, slow and deeply emotional ballads and catchy rock numbers, all containing honest and poetic lyrics that I find all speak to me in some facet or another.
Absolute Zero takes me back to the days of sitting in my lounge room listening to my mothers CD collection from the nineties. With influences such as REM, The Smiths and Fleetwood Mac Little Green Cars clash elements of britpop and grunge perfectly with American folk and country music. The John Wayne elegantly claims “Its easy to fall in love with you” and it really is easy to fall in love with Little Green Cars.
Notable music critic John Harris described the evolution of Britpop as “a belief in real music” and once you hear Absolute Zero ringing loud over the top of the repetitive commercial hits of today, you wont hesitate to believe that once again “real music” is back on the rise.
Sebastian Cooper
You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that the quintet of musicians in the 'Indie rock' band Little Green Cars have only just reached adulthood. Their debut album Absolute Zero is a stunning display of maturity and shows off skill and talent far beyond their years. Little Green Cars hail from Dublin in Ireland; formed in 2008 when all five members were still in high school. This early start has culminated in a confident and unique sound that can only come with quality time spent together.
The opening track Harper Lee is a perfect introduction of what is waiting for you as you enter this story-like album. Rough chords are accompanied by lead vocalist Stevie Appelbys soft pleading voice that appeals to your inner teenage boy - hopelessly in love with a crush that breaks his heart every day.
It’s not long before you are let in on the bands best kept secret – amazing five part harmonies that separate Little Green Cars from any other band with a similar sound.
Their other surprise package is female co-vocalist Faye O’Rourke. Her booming powerful voice takes the album to a higher level in “my love took me down the river to silence me”,. While I am called by Stevies soft delicate tone, Faye sings at me with earnest power - both are equally as noteworthy.
Perhaps the most intriguing song on the album is Red and Blue in which the band discards their standard guitars and drums for a stripped back electric keyboard sound and auto tuned vocals.
While initially I found the electronic style off putting I have grown to appreciate and love the simple lyrics and overpowering sound and while completely different to the rest of the album red and blue doesn’t lose the beautiful harmonies that I have grown accustomed to while journeying through Absolute Zero.
The lead single of the album, The John Wayne, by far speaks to me the most, it was this song that initially drew me to the band. Musically and lyrically it is the crescendo of the album. It starts with a steady chug of drums and heavy strumming. We are then greeted by the familiar five part harmonies. Then, after a few minutes into the song the tempo picks right up and we are invited to dance and scream the lyrics to our hearts content.
I found myself immersed in a pleasant mix of beautiful, slow and deeply emotional ballads and catchy rock numbers, all containing honest and poetic lyrics that I find all speak to me in some facet or another.
Absolute Zero takes me back to the days of sitting in my lounge room listening to my mothers CD collection from the nineties. With influences such as REM, The Smiths and Fleetwood Mac Little Green Cars clash elements of britpop and grunge perfectly with American folk and country music. The John Wayne elegantly claims “Its easy to fall in love with you” and it really is easy to fall in love with Little Green Cars.
Notable music critic John Harris described the evolution of Britpop as “a belief in real music” and once you hear Absolute Zero ringing loud over the top of the repetitive commercial hits of today, you wont hesitate to believe that once again “real music” is back on the rise.
Sebastian Cooper