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Review: 'Green Child, The'
'Shimmering Basset'   

-  Label: 'Upset The Rhythm'
-  Genre: 'Indie' -  Release Date: '20.10.20.'

Our Rating:
The Green Child began as a duo separated by the vast distance between California and Melbourne but as Raven Mahon(From Grass Widow) moved over to Australia to live with the other half of The Green Child Mikey Young (From Eddy Current Suppression Ring), they are more together than ever for this album Shimmering Bassett. The album is on the as ever cool as can be Upset! The Rhythm label, who have been a great promoter and label for several years now.

From the opening Fashion Light we are in an odd slightly askew synth pop world with Raven Mahon's breathy almost French sounding vocals almost acting as much as another instrument as a singer, this is oddly effective and has echoes of Stereolab or Spc Eco as she tries not to run away, which is odd as this album is about her moving to Australia from California.

Low desk: High Shelf is breathy vocals over what sounds like a Casio keyboards backing, although the tones they use are not for the painfully alone more for those doting on each other.

Dreamcom sounds like the title might suggest, its dreamy synth pop with an almost Spectrum ZX computer games feel to the music that is very basic computer keyboard backing that also makes this feel quite floaty.

Tony Bandana sounds like he should be in a mafia movie up to no good, but is instead in this sort of dirge like synth pop tribute to the wonders of his bandana.

Health Farm sounds like something you'd expect from the Metal Boys tracks that featured China on vocals, only this is a bit slower and a touch on the Goth side and decidedly unhealthy sounding.

Witness sounds indebted to Telex but with breathy vocals and as simple a keyboard pattern as possible that then reveals hidden depths as Raven sings about the China Girls in a vastly different way to either Iggy Pop or David Bowie.

Smart Clothes would be the sound to a very futuristic catwalk show in about 1982 or so with bacofoil suits and luminous detailing, this is oddly woozy and just a bit out there.

The Installation sounds like the music for an art installation of the sort that might leave you scratching your head asking is it really art and what did the artists actually do that was artistic, as the sensual vocals whisper in your ear to distract you from the art.

Resurrection has the clearest vocals about a domestic drama set against more strident music than on the rest of the album, this feel seductive while lyrically being more about a break up than a love in almost like a synth pop kitchen sink drama.

Double Lines could be about sharing some drugs or it could be the double lines for parking restrictions or to stop you crossing the double lines on a dangerous road, either way the swelling synths feel like they are building towards something as they slowly bring the album to a conclusion and the vocals come in halfway through almost like a different song to give some clue as to what kind of double lines we may or may not be crossing.

Find out more at

https://www.upsettherhythm.co.uk/thegreenchild.shtml

https://thegreenchild.bandcamp.com/album/shimmering-basset?fbclid=IwAR2bcLIbO4Asix9aiHlMmg1vnFoWzab1eNuxTp0pAf5IQa_rVIi9NEil9Cc
  author: simonovitch

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