God's Green Earth
Artist: God's Green Earth 
Label: Independent
Time: 10 tracks/36:43 min.

The bio from God's Green Earth describes them as a mix of Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, Radiohead, and Coldplay.  Usually bands that throw around those names don't live up to the hype, so I wasn't sure of what to expect from this self-titled CD.  Sure, this is former Mule Thieves John Stanek and Donovan Cox recording music where they claim to "throw the rules out the window."  But hype is just hype after all.

To my ears, Stanek and Cox deliver on the hype and more.  I didn't expect to like this CD as much as I did.  The bio continues to say that they combine "spaced-out synthesizers with trip-hop drum loops, stripped down acoustics, and dreamy pop hooks."  They fail to mention that those pop hooks are played frequently with driving guitar – something that I wasn't expecting based on the description.  But that unexpected element takes this CD from a "review and dump" to a "listen to again and again" affair.

I daresay that this is one of the more original CDs I have heard in a while. This is uncharted territory.

The mood on this album oscillates from melancholy to dense to dreamy.  Other than the guitars, the instrumentation seems to be all digital... which might seem odd for band called God's Green Earth.  But Stanek and Cox add enough atmosphere and warmth to the sounds to keep this project from being sterilized and cold.   Occasionally, the repetition does drag on a bit much, but never to the point of getting boring.

Overall, an interesting start from two veterans looking to re-invent themselves.

By Matt Crosslin  (February 18, 2011)