Weird Little Birthday, the full length release from Happyness, is out this Monday, June 16th. It’s simultaneously a very fun, melancholic, chill, moody and upbeat offering. The description may suggest that it’s all over the place, but it’s just the opposite. The combination of the varied  tones and textures of the music and vocals mesh in such a way that it creates a cohesive, flowing listen. It is a quasi-concept album that keeps the listener on their toes. Our narrator, thoroughly pissed off to share a birthday with Jesus, slowly starts to unravel as the album progresses.

The opener “Baby, Jesus (Jelly Boy)”, is a slow-moving lament, but works as an introduction to the overarching Happyness vibe – a little slow, but engaging in that sly way. Lyrics like, “Don’t steal my thunder, baby Jesus”, display a semi-meditation on growing up, of teenage and young adult angst. Statements like those are presented in a tongue in cheek way, quietly side-stepping anything that can be construed as too offensive.

Quip spoke with Ashley, Benji and Jonny (aka the men of Happyness) earlier this year. Their personalities truly shine through on the full-length album. They are really funny, pretty charming, slightly laddish, but generally easy-going and a hoot to chat with. Same goes for listening to Weird Little Birthday, by and large.

“Naked Patients” shows shades of Wilco influences – this song is reminiscent of the Chicago band’s “Kamera” in the best way. The guitars gently push it along; it’s both very rhythmic and subtle. The odd first line creates a quirky interest (“Something so funny about a sick body and the things that it does that it shouldn’t do”) and the rest of the tune doesn’t disappoint.

The next song, “Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste The Same”, is a somewhat man-childish take on a relationship, brimming with thoughts like, “I’m a sucker for this domestic shit” and “the more I talk to you, the more I like my dog”. It’s followed by “Orange Luz”, a track featured on the band’s EP. The tone and feel of the song lines up nicely with the opening track.  The swell of guitars toward the end of the track sets it apart.

The next song signals a shift in the sound Happyness puts forth thus far in the record. To start, “Refrigerate Her” is a fairly startling name for a song. It definitely has a punky feel, with analog-ish vocals and garage-band guitars. It’s a short burst of raw energy in the middle of ambient to mid-tempo indie pop. It’s cool (pun intended? Sure). The album returns to neutral with “Pumpkin Noir”, featuring vocals from Ed Harcourt. It captures a similar feeling that “Orange Luz” does – both sound a little desolate, a little lonely. It also has echoes of that slight country twang. The lyrics declare that our raconteur is, “a 21st century hand grenade” – and with a line like that, it’s clear to see that the our Birthday Boy, born on Christmas, is starting to lose it.

“Anything I Do Is All Right”, on the other hand, picks up the pace and is a little dark. One can definitely hear some minor chords in there as the boys riff and drum away. The track comes complete with a dark, sweet little hook. Contrasted with the slower tracks, it really rounds out the band’s sound and displays their agile versatility.

The standout track is “Weird Little Birthday Girl”, signalling a return to the birthday theme on this concept album that is but isn’t. It’s a really lovely little instrumental – dare I say sweet and endearing. It’s pretty and plucky. It feels almost shy compared to some of Weird Little Birthday’s other songs. It still contains their signature quirky, at times biting, lyrics, but they fade a bit to the background of the soundscape of this track. “Weird Little Birthday Girl” is yet another iteration of the Happyness “love song” – funny, a little sharp lyrically, and really easy on the ears. It’s trailed by “It’s On You”, a stellar song from the EP. This is the most poppy, hooky track in the Happyness repertoire. It showcases them at (arguably) their best – rambly lyrics, great steady beat, bright guitars and clear, distinctive vocals.

The album wraps up with a few quieter, yet still distinctive tracks. “Regan’s Lost Weekend” is soft and lilting. The addition of the piano is really nice, it adds a unique layer in comparison to other tracks on the album. The soft, almost indiscernible vocals of “Lofts” adds to the ambience. The mood feels a little bit more worn down and sullen at the end of the album; there’s a hint of resignation. A sullen vibe. Weird Little Birthday comes to an end with “Monkey In The City”, yet another slower, twinkly tune.

Overall, Happyness presents a record crackling with personality. Stylistically, it covers a fair amount of ground, markedly with its mixture of varied tempos. It’s an indie record that shines with moments of sheer pop sensibility, hints of veering into some alt-country territory, with a touch of moody garage rock brought in. It’s a mature record with some less than mature themes, (getting dramatically upset about sharing Jesus’ birthday) but that irreverence makes it all the more interesting. These kids from South London are really on to something.

The post Celebrating “One Weird Little Birthday” with Happyness appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Ashley Kolpak: How did you get started?

Benji Compston: We’ve been playing in bands for a while and have known each other for some time too. Around a year ago it got to a point where we were all writing similar music. At first, we were very do-it-ourselves. Around this time last year, we had 20 to 25 songs that sounded great, but at the same time we were a little bit industry shy. We were enjoying being a band, our friends and family thought we spent a lot of time doing nothing, pretending to be in a band just to get laid or doing something bleary-eyed.

AK: How does London shape or inspire your music?

BC: Musicians like Ed Harcourt, he’s a big inspiration. Talk Talk… lots of musicians influence us.

Jonny Allan: Whether it’s intentional or not, it’s influenced our writing. It’s not necessarily the positive aspects. Feeling disillusioned with the city, it’s easy to get a little bit lost there. It’s the same in Chicago. We’re tiny. When you’re a small band there is a lot of high-profile stuff going on. We spend so much time doing it on our own. There’s such a musical heritage here. Also, we’re inspired by a lot of American bands with different sounds.

AK: Speaking of American bands, your EP has definite Wilco and Yo La Tengo subtleties. What draws you to these alt-country/pop bands?

AC: We watched [the Wilco documentary]“I am Trying to Break Your Heart.” It’s a very intimidating thing to watch when you are trying to make an album. It feels so effortless. The story of making an album, they get dropped, but they’re confident in what they’re doing to not worry what anyone else is thinking.

JA & BC: It makes a really big impact, the kind of way they go about things. It’s just reassured us that what we’re doing is cool and worth the time.

AK: Share with us some highlights from your recent tour and shows

AC: It was so brilliant! At one venue, we were something very, very different than the crowd was used to, which was more hard rocking.  At one of our shows, there was slow dancing in the crowd! It’s a shame, the culture of slow dancing has gone out quite a bit. We should bring it back!

JA: It was really exciting to play live again.  We all play different instruments when we’re playing live. There’s only the three of us, trying to figure out what’s going to sound best and who’s playing what. It all seems to come together.

AK: Now perhaps the obvious question… Happyness with a “y”?

BC: [replies in a slightly surly manner, accompanied by a cocked eyebrow] ’Cause happiness with an “I” was already taken?

AK: I deserve that. Who knows? It could be anything.

BC: We didn’t have a band name for a while and while we were recording, we never found one we were happy with. One night we were reading and the word happiness came up.

AC: We came up with a lot of names based on that, mostly through Googling it. (Natch).

AK: Big plans for the EP release?

AC: We’re going to Dublin for it! We’re playing a show that night. And then the next night we have to wear suits. The show is basically honoring John DeLorean!

AK: Any plans for the States/North America sometime soon?

JA: We’d love to come to the States! We’ve worked with Adam Lasus, we’re really inspired by him. We’ll coincide. We’re planning to have him mix some of our stuff.

Here’s to hoping the boys will bring slow dancing to North America one day, but in the meanwhile there’s Happyness’ self titled EP.

The post Interview with UK’s Happyness appeared first on Quip Magazine.

The band takes after influences Wilco and Yo La Tengo with their keen ability to play around with tempo and energy, alternating pop tunes and less structured tracks. The record opens with “It’s On You”, a strong showcase of biting lyrical skills (“Remember when we broke into the park/ and you got laid and I watched”), a jangly, catchy hook and a vocal style infused with cool charm.

Following “It’s On You” are two tracks that have a desolate, vaguely “western” feel, another subtle nod to Yo La Tengo. It’s the music made for long afternoons; subtle and nonchalant, good for a long drive or two. “Orange Luz” and “Lascascadas” are mellow soundscapes flecked with hushed lyrics. The EP recalls a late ’90s-era Pacific Northwestern sensibility, yet still feels modern. Everything old is new again at some point, right? It’s strange to think that the ’90s-era rock is sliding into vintage territory, but this EP is a clever, creative reinvention.

The closing track, “Montreal Rock Band Somewhere” begins like a ’90s grunge tune; mellow and disconnected. The slow, driving drumbeat is paired with a hushed vocal style. When the track asks, “What do you do when you hate all your friends”, it adds to the lonely, aloof atmosphere of the entire EP. While at times the Happyness EP feels moody, it’s mostly a nonchalant record brimming with simple style. There are bursts of energy amidst a generally low-key EP that are endearing. All songs are inviting in their own way; each track adopts a slightly different style for a welcome variety. Overall, the theme and concept of the Happyness EP is clear and cohesive. It’s understated alt-pop made dripping with slight country influences.

The EP is available on January 6, 2014

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