There seems to be this trend in contemporary grass-pop where young bands are showing up, sounding an awful lot like Nickel Creek. With the actual Nickel Creek on the verge of hiatus, it's no wonder. There's an awfully big hole to fill; but the Greencards fit nicely in there, complete with arrangements that hint on Nickel Creek lite.
Where the Creek came from American bluegrass and slowly diverged, one foot firmly in their roots, and another flailing about in experimentation with every other musical genres, the Greencards play it a little more safe. Still, there's something endearing about Viridian that's lacking in many grass-pop attempts, even if that something is just an infectious spirit.
All Over the Map
Anyone wishing to pigeonhole the Greencards' sound will have a decent challenge with this album. Viridian is all over the map. Pop the album in your iTunes, and see it classified as country. Indeed, "Who Knows" is a decidedly contemporary country tune, while the album ends on a more Irish-influenced bluegrass mandolin tune called "Mucky the Duck." There are nice folksy ballads like "Travel On" and "Who Knows," and more poppy songs that lean toward run-of-the-mill, like "I Don't Want to Lose You." Cliche songs like "Shinin' In the Dark" and touching tributes to family members like "All the Way From Italy."
Variation like that could prove disastrous for many bands on their debut album, but the Greencards own it well. Their sound is none of those things, yet all of them at the same time. They are just as good at carrying off a country tune as they are a pop or folk song, and in the end, there's something for everyone on Viridian.
