GREEN AND GLASS
“Dire Deer/Night Runner” C9
(Very Special Recordings)




I’ve been listening to Birds of My Neighborhood by The Innocence Mission in my spare time (ha! Spare time? What spare time? I devote all my moments to tape reviews), and while Green and Glass don’t traffic in the same type of pastoral folk, it wouldn’t be out of the question for either band to share a stage or two with Sufjan Stevens. The Brooklyn quintet, fronted by Lucia Stavros, whose lovely vocals punctuate the orchestral indie pop found here, crafts gorgeous story-songs about singular people (“Lauren” on “Dire Deer” and “Seamus” on “Night Runner”), lending the songs an intimate quality in the vein of our favorite cheerleader enthusiast, Sufjan. (Does he still run around in the cheerleader getup?)

The music is just top notch – horns and harp add flavor to guitar and drums, and where “Dire Deer” builds to a vibrant crescendo, “Night Runner” remains meditative and pensive. Both songs are expertly crafted, though, and reach their catharses in different ways. But therein lies my issue with the tape. It’s a goddamn cassingle! See how easily I can become enraged? You’d think that’s out of character considering my Innocence Mission and Sufjan Stevens fetishes, but you’d be dead wrong! Dear Green and Glass, I would like to request a full-length album right now!

Just kidding about all that anger stuff. I just want more of what Green and Glass is peddling. You will too.




--Ryan Masteller