Yes, The Green Pajamas are back with their first new album since 2012. Now if, like me, you know the band's name and think you may have a tune or two on compilations, but not much else from their 32 previous albums this may not get you excited but if you like beautiful rock operas with a Psych folk and some nice drones backing you may well need to investigate further.
The album opens with the slow dirge-like Will The Ship Go Down which has some woozy violin serenading you as the waves crash over the deck and you may or may not descend to the murky depths. This slips into Si Sigues La Luna, based around David Bowie's Lady Grinning Soul's musical refrain before things open out into White Lighthouse which feels like it's setting up more of the story at the centre of this album.
Sea Of Secrets 1 is a piano-led downbeat rumination on the dead reckoning to come. It's slow and deliberate like Miranda Sex Garden with a few layers stripped away. All Of the Starry Sky slows things down even further to an almost crawl with male vocals that are almost like Thom Yorke's mewling but encased in some beautiful violin and piano.
Who Is The Girl is more like a half-speed sea shanty for the woman of the singer's desire which slides into Madness to Burn. This adds some gorgeous brass to the mix and the deepest female vocals so far. When Juliet Smiles sounds like a classic psychedelic song that reminds me a bit of The Rain Parade and is easily an obvious choice for a single and a beautiful love song to boot.
A Mouthful Of Honey is more of a slow into which leads into a chamber psyche extract. Sea Of Secrets 2 lulls you into a sense of security with its violins and temptress-style vocals leading you into the arms of the sirens calling you into the depths.
Ten Million Light Years Away is the heaviest thing on the album and it's still not that heav. It is, however, certainly a step or three up in being a full on psychedelic monster to freak out to in a Byrds meets the shorter end of The Magic Hour's songs. The sounds then subside into Anyone But Me: a song of regret wherein she wants anyone but the singer. It's also the only long song on the album at over 6 minutes. The instrumental stretches out and the guitars soar before leaving the violins and organ picking up the pieces when the vocals come back. A wonderful piece of music.
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Go To Go Away is carefully put together and very effective in asking someone to leave in a very polite yet firm way. Just as the Big Black Storm moves in with the rhythm of the rain lashing down in sheets which you hope to survive. It seems to have a bit of a modernised Brecht/Weill-style musical compositional feel.
Dusk is a gorgeous, short, string instrumental lament. Why Did I Think I Could builds out of Dusk into an almost Shirley Bassee-esque histrionic ballad but played on strings and harpsichord with a delicacy of touch that's wonderful, though it's soon destroyed by a psyche freak out to finish. A real surprise explosion of sound.
Over Here is a slow laid back song looking out at what's happened over here, it's a little pained but full of emotion.
The album closes with Hasta Al Fin De La Mer: a beautiful love song to the sea and to the places you can dream of going without ever going in reality. Well I've been to most of those places and yes you should go and have fun in Madrid for sure. The piano and trumpet seem to be infused with the spirit of Mike Garson and that makes for a beautiful ending to a very enjoyable album.
Find out more atGreen Monkey Records online
The Green Pajamas online
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