The Essex Green - Long Goodbye - VINYL LP

Debut follow-up albums have a dreaded reputation for falling short of their predecessors. The Essex Green bucked the odds and delivered a masterwork with The Long Goodbye in 2003. The band's core trio of Sasha Bell, Jeff Baron, and Chris Ziter were fresh out of the influential Elephant 6 stables with their stunning twin releases, a self-titled extended play and the classic full-length Everything Is Green. Compared to the psychedelic swirl and sunny disposition of Everything Is Green, The Long Goodbye was a mature and incredibly thoughtful endeavor that emphasized the core members' evolution in songwriting and arrangement. Remember when XTC jumped the Black Sea post-punk ship and delivered the eccentric and elegant English Settlement? The Long Goodbye embodies that massive leap by taking risks and sinking the debut album blueprint. Their second full-length has a more relaxed and assured vibe, akin to the feel of summer's end. There's a sense that the band is preparing for a new season. Each of the twelve tracks on The Long Goodbye is distinctive. They create a patchwork of influences that range from post-Sandy Denny Fairport Convention on InchBy the SeaInch to the spirited and catchy bounce of InchThe Late Great Cassiopia.Inch One almost hears a direct link between Flying Nun and K Records pop sensibilities. The hypnotic InchOur Lady in HavanaInch summons the spirit of Judee Sill, and InchJuliaInch rings like a Jimmy Webb / Emitt Rhodes collaboration at some roadside cafe. InchChartiersInch would've been a hit on Scotland's Postcard Records, with it's stunning sound that either Lloyd Cole or Prefab Sprout longed to perfect. Take the essence of all these influences, wrap them up in sweetened Cowsill harmonies, add that passionate longing of Kevin Ayers and a dose of InchDandyInch-era Kinks and you get close to what The Essex Green are capable of. The Long Goodbye is t