For this latest recording, Green has stepped into a real studio armed with his acoustic guitar, a string section, a bass guitar, and some drums. The sound that is forged is similar to that of '60s folk/pop musicians such as Simon & Garfunkel, but the accompaniment (especially the strings) distracts the listener from the poppy guitar hooks that lie at the core of the album. Also, this time around Green has cast aside his withdrawn vocal whisper and opted for a more monotone tenor. Worst of all, his once creative lyrics have become derivative, as if there was a precedent of silliness he had to maintain. What was so amazing about his earlier work is that despite limitations of money, instrumentation, and production, Green created emotive songs and entertaining music. Now, it seems that he has become too self-aware, that the honesty that once pushed each jalopy of a pop song along has deflated like air from a tire.
