The Essex Green
The Long Goodbye
Merge
I don’t know if I’d call it obsession. No, not quite. But like a shred of metal just millimeters from the magnet, something in me instinctively gravitates toward pop perfection. Not the barely beating contemporary radio concoctions that have been steamrolled by the corporate machine, but the real deal. Four-minute ditties full of impulse. Intuition. Energy.
In my quest for the perfect pop song, a new contender has entered the inner circle. (Among others, joining James: “Laid”, Belle & Sebastian: “The Boy with the Arab Strap”, The Ronnettes: “Be My Baby”, Weezer: “The World Has Turned”).
The second track from The Essex Green’s LP The Long Goodbye blends male and female voices, the jangle of guitars, rollicking drums, and lilting lyrics for the shimmering brilliance of an AM golden oldie and enough melty layers to even satisfy Phil Spector’s discerning ear.
The members of Brooklyn-based The Essex Green have performed in many other musical incarnations including The Sixth Great Lake, The Ladybug Transistor, and Guppyboy, yet this is only their second effort under this name. The first, Everything Is Green, can be found on Kindercore Records, while The Long Goodbye has been released by Merge Records.
In my estimation, the record reaches its pinnacle in the aforementioned “The Late Great Cassiopia,” but the rest of it doesn’t disappoint. Like their fellow Elephant 6 cohorts (The Great Lakes, Elf Power, Beulah, Apples in Stereo), The Essex Green produce luscious melodies, hooks galore, and the sweet liquid sounds of a summer slipping by. But The Long Goodbye would be equally at home amidst the good vibrations of The Byrds, Petula Clark, and The Association as with their modern-day peers.
They sound familiar - probably because of noticeable nods to those gone before - without becoming tiresome or contrived. Like the friend of a close friend, I felt instant ease with The Essex Green. We have mutual acquaintances, so there’s always something to keep me committed to the conversation. While they don’t strike me as the voice of a new generation, this classic sound doesn’t go out of style.
Something tell you you’re into something good? Log on www.mergerecords.com and listen to mp3s of “The Late Great Cassiopia” and the single-waiting-to-happen, “Our Lady in Havana.” Better yet, stop by Lamar’s on Tuesday, Sept. 9, after 9 p.m. to catch The Essex Green live. Lamar’s is located on MLK Boulevard in Chattanooga.
Beth Painter
bethvpaint@yahoo.com