There's an economy in the approach of the Minneapolis four-piece Green/Blue that is very admirable. The group's new one, Paper Thin, dropped on Friday and it's so concise as to be sort of mildly stunning. It's not a re-invention of the genre or anything, but it's pretty damn succinct and good.
Opener "In Lies" surges nearly like an old Tall Dwarfs number, while the sharp and catchy "Catchy" is brief and bracing. There's a bit of Sonic Youth here, but a lot more Yellow Pills-era power-pop filtered through a lot of old GBV records. Elsewhere, "Moving On" has a hook that's almost like The House of Love, even as the vibe is closer to that of Rolling Blackouts and Ducks Ltd. Most of the better, faster tunes here are similar, with "Paper Thin" being another standout.
When Green/Blue vary the mood, things get even more interesting. The Joy Division-ish closer, "Blank Stairs" is a moody mini-masterpiece, like No New York trying to sound like Hook and co. As much as I like the peppy numbers here, this one hinted at a whole other sound I'm hoping the band will consider pursuing on future records.
Paper Thin is out now. More details below, and via Feel It Records.
[Photo: Kari Sharff]