The former Moldy Peach supplies a stripped down slice of his anti-folk stylings on this, his sixth solo album. No doubt he retains a certain charm in the simplicity of his songwriting, but it's often too drab and glum to be really likeable.
For many, the first introduction to The Moldy Peaches came with their contribution to the soundtrack for the Oscar winning movie Juno in 2007, but Adam Green and Kimya Dawson had been touting their anti-folk wares on the New York scene for a long time before that. At the same time, the former maintained a prolific solo career, which now sees him release album number six. Though the fourteen bare, scrubby guitar tracks here are less than groundbreaking stuff for Green, there are certainly some cute hooks among them, and his vocal is as character packed as ever.
Fans of Johnny Cash style minimalist country music may appreciate the blithe, smooth quality of 'Buddy Bradley', while the rattling rhythms and lively acoustic guitar of 'Goblin' are enough to get even the most defiant toe tapping. Meanwhile, the retro rock and roll of 'What Makes Him Act So Bad' would fit in perfectly with the 1960s songs that soundtrack Dirty Dancing, while a totally different Australian billabong feel seems to roll through 'Castles and Tassels'. They're short too, which means despite their very basic style and structure, these songs tend not to outstay their welcome...for the most part.
On the other hand, Green's foray into noisier, experimental rock on 'Oh Shucks' is simply grating, while the biggest disappointment of all is the generally dreary tone that is too seldom broken over the course of 'Minor Love'. It's a shame that this record doesn't have the same comedy value as some of Green's Moldy Peaches work, or the wit of contemporaries like Jeffrey Lewis. While 'Minor Love' has plenty of endearing moments, the overall effect is fairly mediocre.
