REVIEW: Adam Green at Islington Academy on 8 Feb
Once one half of potty-mouthed indie noiseniks the Moldy Peaches,
Adam Green has in recent times enjoyed a successful reinvention as a sort of slacker troubadour crooning his way through surrealist, beatnik nursery rhymes. Tonight the devilishly handsome Green is at his most effortlessly charming, even when descending into occasional lapses of political incorrectness or introducing a song called 'Choke On A Cock'. Backed by his support band the Gnomes, there is a warped Karaoke vibe to his set, bolstered by the fact that so many songs off his new album ‘Gemstones’ sound like modern day showtunes. Recent single 'Emily' is his most infuriatingly infectious yet, an amorous country pop jaunt which sashays its way into your conscious. A cheeky, parred-down cover of 'What A Waster' gets a rousing reception. But it is
'Jessica' - his poignant acoustic lament to vacuous celebrity
- which continues to carry the most resonance: it's semi-ironic, semi-heartfelt, a balancing act which Adam Green continues to tread with considerable aplomb. DL