★★★★★
For their third studio album, the Green come correct; the group rep their Hawaiian roots and heritage hard on , and have their evolving spin on island roots reggae down pat. Working with Danny Kalb (who's previously worked behind the scenes for artists like Beck, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson) adds a glossy vibe, and measured reverb, to the Green's maturing sound. Lead single "Take Me On" stands as the quintessential summer track: laid-back and breezy...
- exclaim.ca
2013-08-21
★★★★★
As someone who is not a particularly big fan of reggae, it is safe to say that I went into the process of reviewing this EP with a fair degree of skepticism. One of my pet peeves is reggae bands that sing exclusively about weed, and seeing that the band was called The Green did not do much to lift my expectations. However, on the first listen, I was pleasantly surprised, showing that it pays to stay dubious, as it always leaves the potential for you to be proved agreeably wrong...
- hangout.altsounds.com
2011-12-01
★★★★★
Easy Star Records Drop the needle on "Keep On", the opening cut on The Green's sophomore outing Ways & Means, and the immediate vibe is old, sweet, and rootsy as they come. Simple little guitar figures woven around quick rhythm flourishes usher in the tune with the slightest hint of tension, then - BANG - the main riff takes charge, synthed faux horn line bumping against traditional skanked-out underpinnings, shored up by tumbling drums and rumbling bass...
- www.jambands.com
2011-11-03
★★★★★
I've never been a fan of the reggae genre; I always found it too slow, too gentle and too relaxed to really instil any sort of excitement within me. Maybe I've been listening to the wrong people for The Green are completely different to how you may expect reggae music to sound and Love and Affection may just be the EP that makes the genre popular again. Right from the beginning of the self-titled opening track, The Green kicks off into its pop-driven reggae sound...
- hangout.altsounds.com
2011-10-20
★★★★★
One of the most unjustly-neglected bands of their time, Green got together at North Texas State University in the late '60s, and released a stunning psych-pop debut in 1969. Their largely-overlooked second LP first appeared in September 1971, and makes its long-overdue CD debut here...
- www.forcedexposure.com
2011-01-03
★★★★★
Brimming with acid jazz, trip hop, and ambient flavors, the Green give a good name to the increasingly generic electronic-music scene. Those burned out on the mindless, repetitive thump-thump-thump of techno and the lazy drone of downtempo will be rejoicing from the sonic liberation that the Green frolic within.What helps the Green stand out amongst their synthesized brethren is their courage, their willingness to think beyond what is expected from this genre...
- www.ink19.com
2009-07-20
★★★★★
No text for this review; see http://robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg90/grades-90s.php.
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-07-10
★★★★★
Green is the vehicle of certified Chicago demi-genius Jeff Lescher, whoseconsuming ambition, utter mastery of the pop song, and obsessive plaints on the subjects of love, redemption, and capital-S stardom give his new album, White Soul, the feel of a world-class breakthrough...
- ew.com
2009-06-12
★★★★★
Green arrived in the mid-1980s, amidst a Chicago scene that included bands like Naked Raygun, Big Black, and Ministry (and eventually, Material Issue and Smashing Pumpkins). Green bypassed the major label-express that many of those other bands rode to fame and fortune, and continued to make records their own DIY way, records which were lauded in the pages of Trouser Press, Spin, and The Village Voice, among others...
- www.forcedexposure.com
2009-06-07