The Pale Green Girl by Penelope Houston

large image coverprintable pdf cover

view larger image

0 faves

fave it

Folk Rock | Folk Pop

11 tracks | 44 minutes

Released Aug 2007
on DBK Works

Click for a 30-second preview. All tracks are 192kbps high fidelity sound quality. Protected WMA $0.77 or unprotected MP3 $0.88.

listen album 30sec. shuffle buy CD review album promote album

MP3GIFT

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:01 Take My Hand lyrics BUY MP3 04:01 Take My Hand lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:01 Take My Hand

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:06 Hole lyrics BUY MP3 04:06 Hole lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:06 Hole

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:08 Bottom Line lyrics BUY MP3 03:08 Bottom Line lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:08 Bottom Line

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:37 Aviatrix lyrics BUY MP3 04:37 Aviatrix lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:37 Aviatrix

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:52 Pale Green Girl lyrics BUY MP3 04:52 Pale Green Girl lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:52 Pale Green Girl

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:54 Flight 609 lyrics BUY MP3 03:54 Flight 609 lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:54 Flight 609

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:29 Privilege + Gold lyrics BUY MP3 04:29 Privilege + Gold lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:29 Privilege + Gold

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:32 Walnut lyrics FREE 04:32 Walnut lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:32 Walnut

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:11 Snow lyrics BUY MP3 03:11 Snow lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:11 Snow

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:14 Soul Redeemer lyrics BUY MP3 04:14 Soul Redeemer lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:14 Soul Redeemer

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:30 Buffalo Ballet lyrics BUY MP3 03:30 Buffalo Ballet lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:30 Buffalo Ballet

$7.77 $8.88 $8.88

Her brilliant lyrics illustrate dark cinematic tales of lust, arson, and murder on this guitar and organ drenched, Byrdsian folk-rock album.

Editorial review

Pale Green Girl electrifies the adult alternative leanings of Penelope Houston's recording past, supporting her willowy vocals with stripped-down percussion, chiming guitars, and warm organ tones. Houston and collaborator Pat Johnson have designed Pale Green Girl as a take on those arty soundtrack albums that accompanied fish-out-of-water French love stories in the 1960s. (Setup: Porcelain-featured American girl meets perpetually smoking Parisian rogue; they ride his Vespa in slow motion.) Though its songwriting occasionally falters, the creativity and fun of its theme largely keep the album afloat. Opener "Take My Hand" updates the Kinks and the Beatles the Olivia Tremor Control-style, while "Bottom Line"'s spidery guitars and chilly organ give Houston an opportunity to be a bit coy. "I know you think that I love you/But maybe I don't," she sings. "Baby I don't need you/And that's the bottom line." The doting "Aviatrix" is even better. Houston assumes the role of a young Marianne Faithfull, singing in beautiful, yet tragic lullaby tones as plaintive notes drift in an out of focus behind whispering, supporting harmonies. It's all very arty and cool, but wisely never tries to do too much with production, instead letting Houston's detached vocal and the instruments paint the mood. As a result, Pale Green Girl has appeal for everyone from power pop and garage aficionados to precocious indie poppers and fans of the vintage product. Highlights include the aforementioned "Aviatrix," the clear-eyed pop of "Flight 609," and the hazy psychedelic influences wafting through "Walnut" and "Soul Redeemer." (The former also gets points for mentioning nougat). Pale Green Girl ends prettily with a cover of John Cale's "Buffalo Ballet." Houston's voice seems to waver a bit here, but like the album's overarching theme, that slight failing is buoyed by highly evocative atmosphere, here provided by brittle piano runs and filtered backup vocals. It's the soundtrack to the love story in your mind. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

Bio / Background

Her brilliant lyrics illustrate dark cinematic tales of lust, arson, and murder on this guitar and organ drenched, Byrdsian folk-rock CD. 11 gorgeous tracks, including songs written by or co-written with Chuck Prophet, Pat Johnson and John Cale.

Read the 4 star review from allmusic.com:

Pale Green Girl electrifies the adult alternative leanings of Penelope Houston's recording past, supporting her willowy vocals with stripped-down percussion, chiming guitars, and warm organ tones. Houston and collaborator Pat Johnson have designed Pale Green Girl as a take on those arty soundtrack albums that accompanied fish-out-of-water French love stories in the 1960s. (Setup: Porcelain-featured American girl meets perpetually smoking Parisian rogue; they ride his Vespa in slow motion.) Though its songwriting occasionally falters, the creativity and fun of its theme largely keep the album afloat.