Little Green Cars’ second studio album Ephemera takes its listeners on a mournful journey, crossing the same roads that are well-trodden by the likes of Bright Eyes, Frightened Rabbit, and Arcade Fire. A mix of male and female vocals creates a conversation of heartbreak throughout the record, as tracks like ‘You vs. Me‘ and ‘I Don’t Even Know Who‘ speak of resentment and loneliness.
While this is very much an album focused on love and loss, Little Green Cars successfully avoid clichés with their thought-provoking, sometimes disturbing lyrics that convey the real effects of misery – from the powerful, piano-driven ‘OK OK OK‘ that sees the protagonist describe herself as “demonic”, a “liar” and a “soldier butchering hearts for a hobby”, to final track “The Factory”, fittingly focused on life and death, with haunting religious undertones.
Although jam-packed with beautifully constructed tracks, the album can seem a little incongruous at times – it’s hard to feel a sense of a story as it skips from one abstract, woeful song to another. But Faye O’Rourke’s stunning, sorrowful vocals, coupled with lyrics that linger and beautiful guitar riffs and piano parts make Ephemera a very enjoyable, contemplative listen, despite its sombreness.
