Phoebe Green starts a new chapter on their debut studio album ‘Lucky Me’
Six years after the release of their self-released debut album at the age of eighteen, Phoebe carves out her own path with the help of opening herself up to collaboration.
Photo: Lewis Vorn
Phoebe Green. Remember that name — it is one you won’t stop hearing soon enough.
Stepping away from their guitar-heavy, indie-rock roots, they’ve paved a path for themselves that makes the Phoebe who produced the debut album 02:00 AM a distant memory. If you compare the two, they’re polar opposites, showing Phoebe’s progression away from being pigeonholed into a genre that isn’t big enough for the making of a true pop star. This talent is one you can’t pin down.
First released singles Make It Easy, Lucky Me and Sweat barely scratch the surface of what Phoebe is capable of; she’s a force to be reckoned with, talking candidly about her struggle to commit as if you’re talking to her in the toilets of a dingy Manchester nightclub. It really is a candid album, one where Phoebe lays down her metaphorical armour and lets the listener into their life, something which is so often kept within the confines of someone’s mind rather than displayed like a piece of art in the Louvre.
Ironically, the fourth track Crying In The Club takes a nightclub-ready turn with its danceable beat despite the contrasting lyrics — something that is an ever-present theme in Phoebe’s music. Opening her heart even more than before, the use of what seems like an emotional voice note is cut into pieces throughout the track, intertwining the sounds of tears with the pounding instrumental.
Switching the fast-paced for the solemn, reflective Clean, Phoebe looks back on the breakdown of a relationship; something they’ve made themself known for writing so refreshingly open about.
Recently released Just A Game, accompanied by a music video where Phoebe plays Frankenstein (not the monster, FYI), is such a perfect choice for the Heartstopper season two soundtrack it would be a crime to see it overlooked. Alice Oseman look this way, please.
One You Want, a track that Phoebe recently tweeted about listening to in the car with her parents and subsequently having to sit through them hearing the line “I might let you do me in the kitchen”, is nothing short of magnetising and gives her a chance to flex her impeccable vocals.
not me listenin to my album in the car w mum n dad n them havin to hear me sing “i might let u do me in the kitchen”
— phoebe green (@ph0ebegreen) August 14, 2022
Moving sharply into Won’t Sit Still, they show off their witty lyricism once again — a common theme through their music, dating back to the 2016 album. This time Phoebe is supported by robotic backing vocals, adding to that 80s sci-fi feel of the song.
DieDieDie is surprisingly not the emo track I thought it was going to be, but something that I would’ve believed was by Billie Eilish if I hadn’t known better. Although I’ve heard frequent comparisons, this is the first track on the album I hear that similarity — Phoebe is far removed from sounding like a lesser version of someone popular.
Another soul-baring track comes from I Wish You Never Saw Me Cry, a track that gives their ethereal side a chance to shine. Playing both sides of heaven and hell is no surprise from a Scorpio, and what Phoebe does they do it extremely well.
On the next track Leach, a building tension that is reminiscent of DIIV’s Doused fills the empty space, creating a feeling of anxiety as Phoebe fills our speakers with their ghostly voice.
The album closer, I Don’t Wanna Make You Cold, sets up with a repetitive, stripped-back beat, leaving Phoebe’s vocals in the spotlight. Just like the songs that came before, they give themselves a chance to truly flex their vocal abilities; something that comes easy for the BIMM graduate and is used methodically alongside the pulsating beat.
If every teen needed the debut album, then every 20-something needs this mature departure from Phoebe’s teen self.
Lucky Me is out on the 19th of August via Chess Club Records.
