by Tom Gallo (@lookatmyrecords)
Seeing Brooklyn chamber-pop group Green & Glass is believing. Being in the same room while harpist and lead vocalist Lucia Stavros nimbly and precisely plucks her harp while simultaneously delivering a vocal performance that can quickly move from soft to powerful is, quite frankly, moving. For some time, you could really only get a grasp of their transcendent and beautiful sound by going to one of their shows. That changed recently, as the band released their long-awaited, self-titled debut album in late February. The experience of seeing Green & Glass live translates well on their full length, as it sees the band taking their genre-melding sound and expanding it far beyond the confines of classification for a record that sounds and feels emotionally nuanced and celestial.
The band’s strength is the sum of their parts, In addition to Stavros, the powerhouse quintet features the talents of several key players in other notable Brooklyn projects, including Cuddle Magic’s David Flaherty on drums, Landlady’s Ryan Dugre on bass, High and Mighty Brass Band’s Andrew McGovern on trumpet, and Secret Sibling’s Sam Decker on synths. It’s a highly talented orchestral combo of sorts that thrives on creating complex and imaginative music that’s still pop-oriented and accessible. Tracks like the gentle and subdued “Green & Glass” come alive with a flurry of colorful strings, bright brass, and resonant synths, setting the tone for the rest of the record. The luminous hooks soar on several early tracks with the album’s lead single, “14 Hours,” standing out, as it moves swiftly with a graceful, lush sound before unfurling with more dazzling harp work. Stavros shines the brightest on the angelic sounding “Gabriel,” a gentle ballad that describes a figure “that follows you around, absorbing some of what the world throws at you.” She shows off the emotional depth and range of her acrobatic voice on “Gabriel,” and turns in another stunning performance on “Sand.”
While Stavros certainly ropes listeners in with her mastery of the harp and nuanced vocal performance, Green & Glass’ songs have several simultaneous moving parts that complement each other to create gleaming dreamscapes. This beautiful style of baroque-pop thrives on the various instrumental accents that float in and out of the foreground, mixing perfectly with Stavros’ tender, yet powerful vocals. The interplay between melancholic horns and the sprightly harp on “S M C” and “Good Enough For Some” exemplify this key dynamic, while the multi-instrumental whirlwind climax on “Black Hole” is perhaps the record’s finest moment. When combined with this lush instrumentation, the dark lyrical content of the track adds an additional element of intrigue to an already mysterious collection of songs.
Green & Glass is a captivating record with more to discover with each listen. The meticulously crafted album showcases the band’s boundless talent, multi-faceted songwriting, and natural chemistry for an impressive debut that’s adventurous, lively, and deep.