Greenland Is Melting – Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass Is Blue

Greenland Is Melting – Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass Is Blue
free album (download) self-released 2009

Listen while reading:

From City To Town (from Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass Is Blue)

Already Gone (from Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass Is Blue)
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Hailing from Gainesville/Florida there is a band named Greenland Is Melting consisting of Karl Seltzer, Will Dueease and Shaun Pereira. As I got their e-mail they said they were a bluegrass/folk/punk combo – and I was more than skeptic because I really don’t enjoy listening to punk music I have to admit. But the question here is what punk means in this context. If punk means a specific (often politically motivated) genre in music I would have been out at this point, but if you rather think of “punk” as having fun and playing music just the way you want together with your friends this is the right way to think of it (and I don’t speak of detestably fun punk here!)

I tried but I really don’t see what else could be punk in the music these three fine men are playing. Bluegrass and folk elements dominate the record – the banjo and guitar play is really nice and procures a often happy often aroused feeling. There are thoughtful moments as well e.g. when they cover Wayfaring Stranger (remembering me a lot of the great Ballads And Mental Breakdowns by Uncle Sinner). But in the long run the cheerful mood dominates the whole album and makes it a record you can easily sing along to (even together with your friends I think…if you are sort of squiffy or so).

The musical landscape of melting Greenland got lots of different instruments such as the above mentioned banjo, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel, harmonica, trumpet, bass drum and fiddle. Together with the powerful and sometimes shoutet vocals the sound really catches your feet and you automatically start seesawing them over and over. And because of the fact that there is often more than just one member singing at a time the the tracks get diversified and catchy.

So if you are looking for an out-and-out bluegrass/folk record give Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass Is Blue a shot. I listened to it the whole day and it’s not getting boring at all. It even gets better if you memorized the lyrics and the melodies and the folksy atmosphere won you over. For more information visit Greenland Is Melting’s MySpace site and download the whole album at their band homepage. You can choose to download for free or to donate some money – and I would highly appreciate it if you’d give some bucks to the guys.