Another week, another Greek band. Make that another surprisingly great Greek band. Athens quartet Xoan don’t rock quite as hard as some of their louder and heavier counterparts, but on their impressive debut album Greenhorn, the three-year-old outfit more than make up for it by authentically recreating the stylishly scrappy, guitar-driven indie-rock of the past couple of decades. And whether or not it matters to you, unlike some of their peers, their English lyrics and vocals are spot-on. They might be greenhorns, but it’s clear they know what they’re doing. See you next week.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Xoan is a four-piece band formed in 2017 in Athens. Keeping the sound of the late ’90s and early ’00s as their main connection point, Xoan craft songs with catchy hooks and melodic heavy riffing. After a period of pre-production, rehearsals and gigs all around Athens, in the spring of 2018 they hit the studio with prominent producer Alex Bolpasis to create their debut record. The result was Greenhorn, a coming-of-age record that refuses to come of age. Greenhorn consists of eight vibrant tracks, filled with vulnerable yet visceral tunefulness that is meant to serve as a coping mechanism in the constant struggle of trying to pull yourself together. Greenhorn subtly entertains the opposite poles of naivety vs maturity by contrasting bleak and cynical lyrics with uplifting melodies. Coming of age as a process translates into losing individuality, trying and failing to fit in and feeling and perceiving things less vividly than in the past. The main thematic idea of the record revolves around the realization that, in the constant struggle of evolving and trying to pull yourself together, maintaining a light heart about it and addressing stressing matters with resilience helps a lot in keeping your sanity.”
