Neufutur www.neufutur.com: January 12, 2006
Greenlight – Is This What I Am Here For? / 2005 Self Released / 6 Tracks / http://www.greenlightband.net
Imagine Mission of Burma mixing with the B-52s, and one starts to get the idea of what Greenlight starts their “Is This What I Am Here For?” EP with. The vocals, which seem to tap an older set of influences, work well with the other trend regarding the track; very Cure-like bass lines. What results with “Gravity” then is a very full track, made all the more interesting with the inclusion of a quirky approach. The sing-songy nature of the vocals in the second half of the track is contextualized into some form of normality, and the track ends with listeners wondering exactly what is up with Greenlight. “head Erased” is a track that fits in better with the average brand of alternative rock; the guitar work vaguely recalls alt-country while the vocals are couched in the psychedelic tradition.
What distinguishes Greenlight from the rest of the bands currently out is the fact that each member of the band has an equal say in the track creation. Bass, guitar, drums, and vocals are all heard in equal proportion; this is accomplished through masterful layering and a cohesion that many bands simply do not have. The female vocals that “Light Phaser” opens up with gives listeners another reason to keep tuned in, and the spaciness achieved by these vocals works well with the concrete sound pushed forth by the arrangements of the rest of Greenlight. In fact, one can say that the vocals and instrumentation on “Light Phaser” are diametrically opposed to one another; the tension between the two shows an escalation of talent until the track could conceivably be said to be one of the best on the disc.
The second half of the disc allows Greenlight to stretch their collective legs; the dual harmonies of “Only You Would Call” are done in a very Husker Du-like style. The vocals bolster each other instead of struggling for dominance, making for something that is incredibly emotional while still being warm and friendly. The disc reaches another high with “Cold”, where the instrumentation still comes out in an impressive matter but the vocals are the talk of the town this time. The harmonies created by the vocals on the track are what individuals will focus in on and insert in their brains for days, weeks, months or even years to come. Three years have given Greenlight enough experience to really shine; here’s to hoping they can continue their high quality of output.
Top Track: Cold
Rating: 7.4/10
[JMcQ]
Illinois Entertainer, Around Hear: December 1, 2005
"This trio takes a simple approach to retroturn-art punk. The six tracks on Greenlight’s debut EP, Is This What I Am Here For?, are clear cut, enthusiastic, and eccentric. The vocals are forced and harmonies don’t consistently mesh, but the grooving melodies and happy-go-lucky instrumentation are the band’s focal point, especially on “Head Erased (10110).” (www.greenlightband.net)
– Jill Haverkamp
View the article in the Illinois Entertainer here.
A few comments...
"Matched by passionate and an intense, powerful lust, THE RUBIES take you through a psychodelic mixup. MARIZEN carries a female fronted powerful pop rock, squeezed through hooks and melodies. GREENLIGHT boxes melodic indie garage rock with an eccentric sound based on rhythm-driven, hook-centric rock. Step and Dance. Fueled by Slavic mysticism, THE DIRTY BLUE specializes in gray studies of hopeless misery and cosmic irony of human relations. At its core, delivers an uncompromising meld of British mod and prog-inspired traditional rock." - Silvie's Lounge/Rose Red Production ('05)
"...I really was blown away. It has been awhile since I have heard a new band where I like the majority of their songs!" ('04)
"...I also want to say how impressed I was with Greenlight! For a new band, I thought they were quite good. I can't wait to see how they do." ('04)
"Big applause for Greenlight!" ('04)
Gunther Murphy's Review: January 23, 2004
Hey, Everyone! This band really rocked the house in, as Greenlight likes to say, a "mod punk" way, when I saw their 1/23/04 show at Gunther Murphy's. What a tight and energetic sound! Self-written, enthusiastic bass lines dribble from Hauppa's confident guitar. They are enhanced perfectly by O'Shea on mad drums. Buckman completes the mix with her deft rhythm guitar. Lyrics were sung with character and were in tune, but were kind of hard to understand...turn the mikes up? I remember this on Alone - Buckman introed the song by cooing "Alo-one" repeatedly in a sultry, amazing way. However, during the main lyrics it was hard to hear her for a while until the song called for more emotion and therefore louder singing. My favorites for the night included: I Know Your Band Can't Play - it was fun. Only You Would Call was plaintive, in a mod punk sort of way, with a nice blend of Hauppa and Buckman singing. Bulletproof Vest was full of fun energy, with way-awesome bass riffs - it was a little hard to understand what they were singing at the show, but check out the lyrics on their website - wow. City Song was the best example that night of original songwriting and good musicianship...The band switches effortlessly between two very different, original rhythms and sounds as they go from verse to refrain. This one really showed the band's potential. Overall, the Gunther Murphy's show was awesome. I love this band! It's definitely worth checking out their next show!!
Read some comments from Garageband.com: