Reviews
Artist:Color Green Album: Fools Parade
Label: New West
Tracks: 9
Website: https://colorgreenband.com
California-based quartet Color Green construct a transportative album that takes inspiration from a range of decades and genres. The band consists of all 4 members on vocals, Noah Kohll and Corey Madden on guitar, with Kyla Perlmutter on bass and Corey Rose on drums. 'Fool's Parade'(2024) is the band's second LP, and manages to explore some heavy emotional themes in an accessible manner. Color Green have demonstrated their development and diversity through the musical scope within 'Fool's Parade' itself, as well as through its evolution from their previous self-titled album of 2022. It's clear the band have leaned into a heavier and fuller sound with their latest album, doing so as if already experts in their craft.
'Fool's Parade' plays on many genres and influences, generating a unique sound that still feels widely inspired. Their rock style could be compared to a multitude of varying classic rock artists, even bigger bands such as the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, The Animals, The Mamas and the Papas and Chuck Berry. Color Green manage to maintain their own distinctive sound through this diversity and other genre influences, such as blues, folk, psychedelic rock and country. This variety across the album produces something for everyone, from the classic rock of 'God in a $' to the souring, emotional journey of '5:08''.
Despite the heavier blues-rock feel, the album still takes a somewhat gentle approach to its sound through the types of vocal performances used. Noah Kohll leads the vocals, with the remaining band's backing, generating a dream-like vocal soundscape that channels each song's emotional power and allows the vast instrumental talent to propel each track forward. Madden: "all the songs were written together as a band. It's the four of us in a room, and it features all of our voices". This strong collaborative approach is evident throughout the whole album, primarily emphasised through the shared vocals, making for a more intimate listen.
The album opens with one of the groovier tracks, 'Coronado', which offers a delightful taste of the old-school bluesy rock that is prevalent throughout the album. The second track, 'Four Leaf Clover' is a tad darker, exploring greed and vanity as the band contemplates the weeds that stem from a seemingly thriving life. The '60s rock inspiration throughout the album is beautifully showcased within this track; its transportative nature enhanced when alongside its stunningly-executed surrealist '70s-style music video that only cements their reputation as a psychedelic band. The distinctive groove of the electric guitar from both Madden and Kohll creates a fullness of sound that is made even more exciting through Rose's drum performance which consistently demonstrates an expressive spontaneity throughout the album, and all carried through in style by Perlmutter on bass. The intricacy of the instruments complement the consistent tone of Kohll's dreamy vocals and the shared sing-song of the group, adding to the '60s feel.
Title-track 'Fool's Parade' holds a moodier feel than its two previous tracks. Its guitar dances around the drums with a quick lightness reminiscent of classic blues. The build of the chorus, formed through the addition of the strumming guitar, heavier drum and accompaniment of all 4 vocalists, leaves you craving the next, even more so after the cut back to the gentility of the verses. Kohll's build in his vocal performance creates more intensity until we reach an instrumental bridge of classic rock, with its epic guitar and crashing drums it marks out this song as the well-deserved title track of the album.
Song 6 is '5:08', arguably the standout track and the emotional crux of the album with its exploration of grief, and being based on the death of Madden's father. It's stirring guitar and synth-like wail in the background evoke a mystical sadness. The drums are expertly utilised to maintain the gentle nature of the song. With its stormy cymbals it sets an atmosphere that carries the heavy weight of the lyrics and builds perfectly with the intensity of the song's end. Its vulnerable vocals, expressive harmonies and responsive lyrics in the chorus succeeded in story-telling and convey the emotional power of the song. All four members give stunning, hauntingly understated vocal performances- their almost monotonic unison maintaining a rawness that allows the lyrics to take precedence. This symphonic approach curates a feeling of choral solidarity and musical kinship that only pushes the album's emotional themes. This song is absolutely one for repeated listening, although likely not too close together.
'Fool's Parade' is a beautiful journey of an album, one that strives to keep many classic genres alive, and through this, truly transports its listeners. For those craving something new that feels historic, 'Fool's Parade' will be releasing on July 12th.
Keziah Pledger
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