More about: Phoebe Green

A new addition to Manchester’s illustrious array of musical talent, Phoebe Green’s name has been making a well-deserved rise of late. The self-appointed “Shirley Temple of the North”, Green is a master of blending witty and confessional lyrics with perky pop melodies: early singles ‘Easy Peeler’ and ‘Dreaming Of’ are shining examples of her unique vision. And on her latest EP I Can’t Cry For You, Green boldly reaffirms her mission statement to the world. 

To put it bluntly, I Can’t Cry For You is sheer brilliance. As a four track EP, it does its job (to draw you into Green’s musical universe of possibility in barely fifteen minutes and leave you fully converted) so efficiently. The early signs are there when the ominous build-up of a synthesised bassline introduces itself on opener ‘Reinvent’. When the major-chord-keyboard arrives and Green hits you with those painfully relatable opening lines (“I used to pride myself on honesty and being a good friend/But now I hate the thought of conversation and having to pretend”), you’re basically hooked.

Lead single ‘Reinvent’ is beautifully crafted with a timeless sensibility; the instrumentation and melodic constructions could feel just at home in 1988 as they do in 2020. It pirouettes and glides between the understated verses and the instantaneously contagious chorus - every second of the song counts. Once it's over, you feel the compulsion to reverse and repeat it all over again. Songs that have that effect on a listener have an alchemical nature; ‘Reinvent’ is pure magic. 

Compared to Green’s previous output, ‘Grit’ brings a much darker tone to proceedings. Lingering horror movie pianos and industrial drum loops back a mournful vocal as the song sets in. “You make me spin, you make me sick” Green murmurs in the verse- if ‘Reinvent’ was the high, this is the painful comedown. Anxiety and paranoia haunt the track, illustrating the uncomfortable nature of constantly comparing yourself to other people around you. Adding to the ominous atmosphere, ‘Grit’ doesn’t as much have an ending, rather it just stops. Like many untampered thoughts we have, they often get interrupted before they spiral further, and ‘Grit’ is Green’s interpretation of that statement. 

The four tracks that make up I Can’t Cry For You have the themes of identity and self-worth scattered through them, with ‘Golden Girl’ continuing the trend. A glimmering indie-pop banger by any other name, the lyrics see Green confess “I just hate vulnerability” and she’s “never gonna be a golden girl”. Like ‘Reinvent’ before it, ‘Golden Girl’ contains the enchantment that runs through the DNA of all fantastic tunes: the Cure-esque bassline dances through the track, the new wave synths bending to bridge the verse and chorus are inspired, and the yearning refrain is performed and written with finesse. 

Before the curtains fall however, we have the electronically tinged closer ‘A World I Forgot’ to contend with. Despite it being the weakest offering on the EP, it showcases an artist refusing to be pigeonholed. Green is not hesitant in following up a 2020 new wave classic (New New Wave?) with a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Aphex Twin record. That sense of bewildering experimentation, particularly with an artist this fresh and new, feels genuinely exciting. If I Can’t Cry For You is the Phoebe Green manifesto condensed to a four track EP - imagine what she’ll bring to the table on a full album!

I Can't Cry For You is out now via Chess Club.

More about: Phoebe Green