Greenvilla's debut album: a summery sound with evergreen depth.
GREENVILLA
Greenvilla
Poclanos, 2021.
8.0
review by Jon Carver (@carver167)
Drenched in a hazy retro vibe with lyrics that are both desperate yet indifferent, this Changwon-based indie band delivers the perfect album for a lazy, lonely, and hot summer.
The lead single and album opener Venus throws us straight in with the opening drum beats and the lead singer’s bright cooing. The addition of the strings brings a laid back, almost Californian atmosphere to the track before the lyrics have even started. When the dreamy, buoyant vocals begin, it’s clear that this album is simply taking us along for the ride. The echoing cry at the end of the song, “Why disappear?” seems almost to be asking us to stay and listen to what they have next in-store.
Altered Shape takes a turn for the more melancholy. With her alternating highs and lows, the vocals take us on a journey that’s somewhat darker than the previous track. During a summer that sees many trapped inside and introspective, the ending seems to speak directly to the listener. “Maybe I lost me.”
On Cici, we begin to feel as though we’re witnessing a ritual from some tropical land. Through repeated lyrics, beats, and chants, we’re reminded that summer is here, and we can find our own beach in our dreams.
Blue continues the slide into pensive self-reflection and explores it further. With dreams, lovers, and images of ourselves falling away, the track seems to beg the question; what’s left after we awaken from our dreams?
We fall into a world dripping with hazy guitar riffs on the title track, encouraging almost hopeful beats. At the same time, the song’s two short verses tell a lonely story. We’re not sure who we can trust as the dream gets fuzzier and lines get blurred.
Sun tells us another sombre story with a more upbeat attitude. The bright lyrics and melody go well with the lyrics of “chasing down the sun.” However, as we all seem to find some time in life, the things we chase can often cause us harm. What we want is not always what is best for us.
Still Sweet continues this trend of being hurt by the things we love. On this slower and more contemplative song, the bright vocals belie the slow R&B inspired melody. Even when things have passed into shadows, we can still remember them sweetly. This feels like the last call before staggering towards a newly empty home.
Album closer, Sometime I hate U, finally delivers catharsis. With Old West guitar riffs and lyrics of “I want to burn I want to melt”, this song would be firmly at home on a Tarantino soundtrack. The spoken lyrics of “Hey, darling, sometimes I hate you.” drives the point home. We’ve freed ourselves from the bonds of our past love and are ready to move on. As we all occasionally feel, “It doesn’t matter what it is, for me, I need a new one.”
With this fantastic debut, one can only find themselves excited and hopeful for the future of this engaging band. An album to listen to under any pretext; this will be heavy on my rotation throughout the summer.
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