A compilation of the anti-folk songbook
Adam Green, one of the founding members of the duo The Moldy Peaches, has built a sturdy solo career that expands his anti-folk sound to include various idiosyncratic sounds heard throughout his discography. Sounds, where in some cases shouldn’t work, surprisingly did. A no holds bars on creativity, Green has practically rewritten the songbook for folk music in the aughts. His albums Friends of Mine, Gemstones and Minor Love captured an era of New York where the only limits of songwriting and composition are the constraints songwriters impose upon themselves. Twenty years have now past since the release of his acclaimed second album Friends of Mine. With such a varied songbook he crafted, the time now seems posed to do a tribute album exploring the various tones and lyrics Green crafted in his career.
Moping in Style (A Tribute to Adam Green) is a substantially sized compilation album that includes covers of his songs from various musicians of whom have been long time collaborators and friends Green has managed to meet in his career. Musicians such as: Regina Spektor, Father John Misty, The Libertines, The Lemon Twigs and Devendra Banhart among others provide listeners with a varied look into what types of sounds Adam Green was fascinated with in his career.
To begin with, Regina Spektor and Jack Dishel’s take on “We’re Not Supposed To Be Lovers” is a beautiful yet melancholic duet that adds a neoclassical interpretation on a lo-fi folk song. The Lemon Twigs tribute of “Baby’s Gonna Die Tonight” is a glam rock banger that adds a level of polish that the original lacked, while keeping the joyful vibe of the lyrics intact. Vincent Delerm’s cover of “Friends of Mine” reinterprets this song into a Chanson/ye-ye number (complete with mixed English/French vocals). Jonathan Rado’s version of “Emily” is a cover that succeeds in keeping the spirit of the original, yet updates the production of the song making it a timeless classic. In that vein, The Libertines, Devendra Banhart and Father John Misty take on “Jessica,” “Pay the Toll” and “Musical Ladders” respectively also succeeding in the regard. For The Libertines especially as the band have been close to Green since the beginning of both of their respective careers.
Some of these tracks here, while not as polished at the others, manage to put a new spin on the lo-fi production that Green used and championed in his career. Sean Lennon’s version of “That Fucking Feeling” uses cheap synths that are looped throughout the song. Leaving, upon first listen, a distinct level of confusion – the production itself is so cleverly crafted that it will encourage listeners to repeat the song again before becoming an instant favorite. While “Drugs” from TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone ventures in the opposite direction, the production on this cover more ethereal, emphasizing the darker nature of the lyrics. On the further end of the spectrum French Canadian singer Hubert Lenoir takes on “Stadium Soul” giving the song a major facelift. Complete with drum machines, synths and a vocoder, “Stadium Soul” is transformed into a futuristic hyperpop track, stripping away the more wooden qualities of the original, Hubert Lenoir’s version is certainly the most original and creative cover on the compilation.
For a musician with a varied career, Adam Green and his talent for writing unorthodox songs should definitely be praised. In a way the selection of these covers’ themselves can be viewed as curation of Adam Green himself. They demonstrate the sounds he used on his albums, the production techniques he championed, even his sense of humor is catalogued here. The opinions of these covers will vary from listener to listener, but as a whole Moping in Style (A Tribute to Adam Green) has at least something here for everyone to enjoy.
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