If we’re honest, Green has always sounded a little bit outdated as his vocals and musical arrangement are much closer to what we heard in the 50s and 60s. But because of just that, he also sounds refreshing. It’s not a very popular style of music when it comes to the commercial masses, but for those people who still like to listen to songs the way they used to be played, this is a gold mine.
With influences from country, blues, jazz, americana, folk, rock & roll and pretty much everything else that was popular in the ‘early days’, Green builds up his songs in a very strong fashion. And very much like back then, Green keeps his songs short. None of the songs on “Minor Love” reaches the 3 minutes mark.
But where the album is pleasant and actually quite strong, it is by no means Green’s strongest release. There are no real surprises on “Minor Love”, no real excitement, and for ultimate pleasure the album should be listened to on vinyl instead of CD or digital download. The album breathes, it’s almost like it’s alive. But while it’s alive it doesn’t sound very lively, unfortunately. Stand out tracks are Cigarette Burns Forever, which has a very melodic feel, the cheeky Castles & Tassels and the closing track You Blacken My Stay which has a few honky tonk influences without sounding like a honky tonk song.
“Minor Love” is a solid album, and the fans of the genre will cherish the album, as the songs are all well-written and performed to near perfection. But to say that this album is memorable would be too much. It’s a great listen when it’s playing, but it’s not the first album you will take off the shelf to put on when you’re looking for something. Green’s previous album would be a better candidate for that.