Colleen Green Plays Things Cool in Her Welcomed Return

Six years since her last full length, Green's everyday observations are sharper than ever

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Los Angeles can get a bum rap, but most days, I find myself missing my few years in that city, whether it be the great food, shows, the cast of characters, or, yes, the beach.

One thing I do not miss, though, is the traffic - spending your days at a standstill on the 405 or I-10 is no way to live a life. So if there were an opportunity to crawl down Olympic or Pico to get across town, I’d always elect for this route, even if it took longer.

My feelings on the matter are why I had a good chuckle while listening to Colleen Green’s enjoyable new album Cool. On “Highway,” a moody and grooving snake of a song, Green stands firm on her preference for the local thoroughfares as well.

“Preferably, we utilize the side streets
That’s more my speed
I've got nowhere to be
I see on the freeway
People speeding and competing
Burning rubber, burning grease
I just need a little peace
And that’s why I like traveling the back roads
Where we can take it slow
Listen to the radio
And roll down the windows all the way”

Green’s cheeky humor and slacker speak-sing vocals were what won me over on 2015’s I Want to Grow Up, and six years later, she has improved on the formula, this time with more assuredness.

Green broke out in the D.I.Y. scene with her homemade tapes of lo-fi punk and cheap drum machines before recording I Want to Grow Up in Nashville with JEFF the Brotherhood’s Jake Orall assisting with producing and guitar and Diarrhea Planet’s Casey Weissbuch on drums. I was eating up anything on Infinity Cat Records at that time, which made it an automatic listen. The album ended up becoming one of my favorites of the year, full of infectious power pop.

2018 saw a rerelease of her self-titled EP, with a bass-only full cover album of Blink-182’s Dude Ranch the following year, but it’s been what feels like a lifetime (R.I.P. Diarrhea Planet and Infinity Cat) since a new full-length. The lead single “I Wanna Be a Dog” was damn good, as Green pondered the complexities of her life while favoring the easygoingness of a dog’s life.

After having the song stuck in my head for weeks, I’m happy to say Cool pays off after the long wait. Produced by Gordon Raphael, who just celebrated 20 years since his work on The Strokes’ Is This It, the record finds Green in a jammier, more groove-oriented mood than her previous outings.

Hooks are in abundance with the heady “Someone Else” as Green sings about double standards in relationships, while “Posi Vibes” and “How Much Should You Love a Husband?” echo the dual guitar attack of The Strokes. “Natural Chorus” is unlike anything else on the record and a new sound for Green. With its synth and bass buildup and minimalist lyrics, the song is unchartered territory that suits Green well.

“You Don’t Exist” explores the pitfalls of social media and the futile chase for more followers and attention before Green reminds herself to be the best version of yourself on “It’s Nice to Be Nice,” while singing “been hating on everyone, as of late, I used to be fun, when will this negativity be gone, all I ever wanted was to be kind, these days I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when Cool comfortably stays in the mid-tempo lanes of late-90s indie rock. By going with Raphael on the production assist, Colleen Green realizes her musical strengths and truly embraces them, leading to a robust effort.

In these challenging times, we could all use a little pep talk and affirmation, and Colleen Green is here for you.

Cool is available now on Hardly Art.