Short & Sweet: Adam Green & Binki Shapiro

 

Adam Green and Binki Shapiro’s self-titled collaboration is short, sweet, and over almost as soon as it begins.

With each track running no more than three minutes and 30 seconds long, the entire album seems to pass by as an afterthought, unless the music is given full attention.

The opening track, “Here I Am,” with its dreamy tones and mildly poetic lyrics, does little more than lead into the more upbeat “Just To Make Me Feel Good.”

Shapiro’s smooth, tired voice is one of the crown jewels of “Little Joy” (a three piece band in which Shapiro is a contributing member) and is doubtlessly one of the most memorable aspects of the album.

When combined with the unique tenor vocals of Green, the pair lend a sound to their music that is entirely their own.

“Pleasantries,” in which the pair’s vocals truly shine, is unfortunately one of the shortest tracks. It is accented with simple acoustic guitar strumming with an especially metallic sound.

The second half of the album sticks to the same love struck, almost lazy theme that is prominent throughout the majority of the tracks.

The closing track, “The Nighttime Stopped Bleeding” summarizes the album with a haunting exchange of vocals by Green and Shapiro.

In a repetitive loop of instrumental music, the work of the duo comes to a close, leaving one wondering what exactly was listened to.