Manchester songwriter Phoebe Green has been stirring up excitement for a few years now with a set of strong singles and EPs, and today she takes the leap with the announcement of her debut album Lucky Me, which will arrives on August 19 through Chess Club. She’s also shared the title track, saying:
“‘Lucky Me’ explores the idea of disguising self-destructive behavioural patterns due to a feeling of guilt for living a seemingly easy life. I’m very lucky in so many ways that I almost feel ungrateful for still experiencing such difficulties with my mental state. I frantically search for a trivial, tangible cause of distress so that I don’t have to dig too deep or accept that I might just be a bit mentally fucked, then altogether silence myself when I imagine how others may be perceiving me and my actions. The song represents the common defence mechanism of invalidating and dismissing my emotions before anyone else can.”
“Lucky Me” finds Green floating in a space where she knows she has a comfortable, fortunate life, but somehow can’t quite muster enthusiasm – and feels like she’s being a shit for not just being happy; “don’t talk like that / you’re such a brat”. The song is powered by turbo-charged synth bass and powerfully popping drums, which make a perfect foil to her disaffected vocal. This instrumentation is like the anger and frustration bubbling underneath her monotone mentions of “another liquid lunch” and other unhealthy behaviours – they’re struggling to get out, while on the surface Green is trying to remain placid and satisfied. It makes for a tense, taut and very pointed observation of the way she – and many others – lives her life.
The video for “Lucky Girl” was directed by Piers Dennis and finds Green throwing knives at herself on a spinning target – it’s pretty great. Take a look below or find the song on streaming platforms.
Phoebe Green’s debut album Lucky Girl comes out on August 19 through Chess Club. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
