See Green - Ultramarine [EP]

See Green - Ultramarine [EP]
2011, Courtenay Green

Until about three years ago, Courtenay Green was an active part of the East Village music scene in New York City, playing in a string of bands.  Her own personal muse wouldn't leave her alone however, and Green kept writing songs on the side.  Green finally made the break, swapping coasts and landing in West Hollywood to pursue her own project.  Green's musical alter-ego, See Green, was born to give voice to her distinctive fuzzy-pop style songs.  See Green's latest EP, Ultramarine, blends pop and new wave with electronic influences to create a distinctive sound.

Ultramarine opens with "Are You Happy", a quirky and vibrant pop/rock number that shows off Green's unusual and interesting vocal textures.  The song is exceedingly accessible, an obvious choice as a single with it's urgent, driven feel and catchy melody.  "The Neighborhood" is a soliloquy dedicated to change; lightweight and fun.  With a chorus that errs on the side of repetition, the song has sufficient pop sensibility to pique your attention.  "Closer" is a catchy modern rock/dance hybrid that's musically apt but lyrically stilted and awkward.  Green stumbles enough here to distract from the quality of the music.  Ultramarine closes with the bland modern pop of "I Meant It", dropping an anti-climactic curtain on an EP that starts strong but quickly fades.

Ultramarine shows both the distinctive potential of See Green and the pitfalls of trying to create a longer release out of two very good songs.  The gap in consistency and quality on Ultramarine between the first two and last songs is significant, and is likely to encourage many listeners to just download the two tracks rather than pay for the whole EP.  Courtenay Green obviously possesses talent as a songwriter and performer, but Ultramarine seems as if it was rushed on the back of two good songs.  At their best, See Green is definitely worth spending some time on, however.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about See Green at www.seegreenmusic.com.  Ultramarine is available digitally from Ultramarine and iTunes.