Colleen Green - Cool (LP) - Cool Cloudy Smoke Vinyl

Colleen Green took her time between full lengths, then slipped back in with Cool on 10 September 2021 via Hardly Art, and it suits her. The LA songwriter has always had a knack for making crunchy, sugar-rush guitar pop feel effortless, but here she pares everything back just enough to let the hooks breathe. The songs move with an easy stride, bright guitars up front, vocals cool and confessional. There is polish compared with her earlier DIY work, yet the charm stays intact. It sounds like late afternoon light in an apartment that still smells faintly of fresh coffee.

The lead-up singles spelled it out. I Wanna Be a Dog toys with a silly idea, then sneaks in a small ache about freedom and responsibility. It is laid back on the surface, almost blithe, but the chorus gets lodged in your head and the guitar tone sparkles. Someone Else leans into suspicion and self doubt with a melody that refuses to let go. Both tracks show Green’s gift for economy. She does not overplay or over sing, she trims until only the good bits are left. On Cool that approach becomes the whole aesthetic, a neat line between power pop and indie slack, bright and slightly bruised.

Green recorded the album in Los Angeles and brought in producer Gordon Raphael, best known for his work with The Strokes. That pairing makes sense once you hear the clean edges and springy rhythm guitars, the way the mix leaves room for her voice without sanding off the fuzz. The drums hit with a steady thump, bass lines move with a casual swing, and little guitar filigrees poke out like streetlights blinking on. It is tighter than I Want to Grow Up, her 2015 LP, but not stiff. You can still feel the bedroom origins of these songs, just rendered with a nicer lens.

Lyrically she is still writing about the tricky business of being a person who thinks too much, parties a little, then thinks about that too. Her humour has always been a shield, and it is here as well, but the punchlines land beside moments that feel disarmingly honest. Even when she is circling familiar themes, there is a sense of patience that comes with time away. She lets a chorus repeat a few extra times, trusts a simple riff to carry a verse, sits in the pocket and waits for you to come to her. It is a quiet confidence that makes repeat plays rewarding.

Spin this on a decent setup and the guitars feel tactile, that glassy top end turning into a pleasant bite. The Hardly Art pressing of Cool vinyl has become a regular pull in my living room, perfect for a sunny morning or a late drive. If you are crate digging at a Melbourne record store, or scrolling through vinyl records Australia wide after dinner, put it near the top of the list. Colleen Green albums on vinyl tend to suit a home collection, short and punchy, and this one may be the easiest to play from start to finish without touching the tonearm. If you prefer to buy Colleen Green records online, it is an easy add to the cart, then straight to the platter.

Critical ears noticed the shift. Outlets like Pitchfork and Stereogum covered Cool on release, pointing to the way Green sharpened the sound without losing her shrugging charm. That is the sweet spot here. The record keeps her identity intact, sunnies on, dry wit at the ready, while the production turns her small-room songs into something that fills the space a bit more. It does not reinvent her, it refines her.

Cool is one of those albums that sneaks up. First play is pleasant, second is better, by the third you are humming along while making dinner and wondering how the day slid by so breezily. It is music for sticky summer nights and for those in-between hours when you are not sure what you feel, only that you need a song that understands. If you already love Colleen Green vinyl, this is the one you will reach for when a friend asks what she sounds like. If you are new, start here, then work back. Either way, Cool earns its title, not by trying hard, but by trusting simple songs to do what they have always done, sound good and tell the truth.