Joey Puleio and Chris Kyle, the duo that make up Extra Space, set about cleaning up their Brooklyn, USA rehearsal studio and somehow ended up creating their debut album, Green Season.
By Graeme Smith
Yet, there’s nothing accidental about the makeup of Green Season. Reflecting the process of its inception, there’s an uncluttered minimalism in the album, marked by its opener Puddles. A stripped-back and pleasingly nuanced acoustic instrumental sets the tone while gentle but emotive vocals tell its poetic lyrical story.
From this promising start we are taken on a meandering journey with deviations into plodding soft rock, dreamy psychedelic folk, and delicate finger-picking. Each track brings something new and unexpected, meaning we’re always left guessing what we’ll be hearing next.
In Bloom proves to be highlight thanks to its almost unrecognisable take on the Nirvana original. Extra Space truly make it their own. As is Toothpaste which combines soft layers and hard edges. Cig gives us a groovy, percussive moment which is the album at its liveliest while Spiral Stares closes the album with a captivatingly experimental composition. Echoing guitar combines with melodic vocals in the verse before we arrive at a driving indie rock chorus. It’s a final highlight on an album that has no real lowlights.
Great art can come from the most unexpected of places and I’m so pleased that Extra Space found theirs for Green Season. As a collection, it’s easy to get into and I can see myself returning to it again and again. It’s an album full of surprises, yet hangs together beautifully.
Green Season is out now and you can check it out below.