Adam Green
Minor Love
Fat Possum
I like Adam Green’s vocal stylings, but it’s his biography that really gives me a chuckle – he’s “A famous American Celebrity from New York,” he sought political asylum in Germany (must have been fleeing from one of the Bush pogroms), and no women were permitted in the recording studio “because of Green’s attempt to pursue a bisexual lifestyle.” Whether it’s just pretense or a serious attempt at humor, it’s secondary to his singing.
On Minor Love, Green sounds like a Velvet Underground-era Lou Reed. “Breaking Locks” plays out over a simple guitar line, and his smoky voice sounds downright Robitussin-depressed and perfect for the mood of the music. “What Makes Him Act so Bad” carries the listener though a bisexual lovesick lament, and who or what or why someone treats him as they do is a complete mystery to Adam, but at least he’s got the gumption to write a song about it. There’s even a hint of Roky Erickson in “Cigarette Burns Forever,” another song of loss and lost love. All these songs clock in at about two minutes, and while there’s a theme of depression and loss running through this album, it’s overall a refreshing look at love, however you seek it out. Adam, good luck on that bisexual thing, I hope you figure it out.
Adam Green: http://www.adamgreen.net • The Lake Room: http://www.thelakeroom.com
