Artist Spotlight: The Green Bullets
Earlier this summer I made the long trek up to Portsmouth, NH to catch Twin Peaks at the 3S Artspace, a cool Swiss Army knife of a building consisting of a restaurant, art gallery, and event space. And while Twin Peaks were amazing, opening act The Green Bullets caught my attention as well.
The Green Bullets are a three piece garage rock band from Dover, NH, with influences ranging from the Black Lips to Billy Joel. Since releasing their Écouter EP in late 2011, the band has come out with follow up EP Submarine, Don't Implode, and recently released their first full self-titled album in April. And though their line-up is still a work in progress (having rotated instruments throughout their opening set for Twin Peaks because their drummer had recently quit), core members Harry Griffin and J.W. Ayer seem to have found a steady third man in J.W.’s brother, Tom Ayer — not to mention the invaluable contributions of mascot and unofficial fourth member, Spooky Boy.
Since their discography is relatively short (not to mention free on bandcamp), it’s worth just listening through everything, but here are some highlights:
On their first EP, The Green Bullets immediately prove that they’re worth listening to with simple yet catchy lo-fi track “Fauxbians,” and “Savage Act” is a punchy 1:30 jam that could pass as a Sex Bob-Omb (the band from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) song. From their second EP, “Berklee” stands out as a gem in the rough, with a catchy bass line, jangly guitars, and nasally vocals comparable to voice of King Tuff singer Kyle Thomas.
Their most recent album shows that the band has gone through a major growth since the last recording five years prior. Single from the album, “Spooky One” is a good testament to this growth, but if the first track is the cover letter, then the second is the resume. The Green Bullets deliver with “Naive,” a thumper guaranteed to have your foot tapping within the first five seconds, paired perfectly on a playlist with The Frights. From there the album continues to climb, hitting another high with “So It Goes,” sounding like a cross between Harlem’s “Friendly Ghost” and The Beach Boys. Not surprisingly, the band brings back “Berklee,” and “Savage Act” which shine even brighter than before with the improved audio quality. The album ends with “Talking with You,” a slow burner that shows the band’s softer side and acts as a cool down lap, hugging you goodbye and thanking you for listening.
Overall, The Green Bullets have managed to carve out their own unique sound within the black hole that is garage rock. And with the release of their excellent new album, they’re definitely worth keeping your eye on.