Adam Green & Binki Shapiro
January 29, 2013
Decca/Rounder
The two fit together like peanut butter and jelly. Complementing each other in vocal tone, songwriting and presentation, Green & Shapiro created a strong album which marks the most impressive release in their respective careers.
The relaxed feel of the album is balanced by the somewhat bleak view of life and relationships. Filled with questions, irony and even some playfulness, it works out beautifully. Shapiro's vocals draw you in by being both fragile and compelling while Green's earthy baritone provides the balance that keeps the songs from becoming dreamy.
Behind the masks of irony, sarcasm and clever play on words, the album is of a very personal nature as both artists really seem to lay it all out there. They share heartbreak and confusion. And while this has always been a popular theme in music, Green & Shapiro know how to present it in a unique and unconventional manner. This is exactly what makes the record so good. Musically this comes close to the romantic sixties swaying pop songs and it could've easily become an anachronism or a blatant derivative. But not with Green & Shapiro. Both are artistically original and unique which reflects on this record.
The album's best songs are If You Want Me To, where Shapiro's vocals and the slightly offset melody provide a strangely appealing atmosphere, Pleasantries, where the two are exactly balanced and are having a bit of fun with the lyrics, and the highly impressive Don't Ask For More. On this song the arrangement is in complete unison with Shapiro's vocals. There is a ballroom quality to it that brings back forgotten times yet the song is entirely current and relevant.
"Adam Green & Binki Shapiro" has two lost souls that found each other. Through kindred spirits the creation of something beautiful emerged. Let us hope this collaboration will not be discontinued.