Album Review: Happyness – Floatr


Happyness




Back in 2014, when Happyness were a trio and had just released their debut album Weird Little Birthday, it all felt a bit strange.

Londoners with American accents? Influences like Pavement, Big Star and Teenage Fanclub? A concept album about a boy who shares his birthday with Jesus and ends up going insane with jealousy?

Little did we know then that things were relatively ordinary. It’s not just that what would’ve seemed crazy back in those ancient times is the new normal, but musically the game has shifted too, the likes of black midi, Squid and Dry Cleaning all taking indie off into life-breathing directions when at times it’s been at the point of going out forever.

Practically no-one has remained untouched by these radical shifts, and this band were no different; co-singer Benji Compston leaving after the release of their second album Write-In three years ago, whilst drummer Ash Kenazi not only came out but recast himself as a drag queen, revealing the new him/her at Brighton’s End of The Road festival.

All this comes before a note of Floatr is struck, but a complex back story can result in simple gems and When I’m Far Away (From You) is their tenderest, most relatable song ever – a piano led ballad on which, for the first time, those still standing are totally comfortable being themselves. It’s a bit more business as unusual on the overloaded fuzz rock of Vegetable, blurry vocals and pedal overload making for a wholesome slacker throwback.

Even as a duo they still pack a punch well beyond their awkwardness, but there’s an emotional level not seen before here too: seven-minute closer Seeing Eye Dog veers from their trademarked melody/overwrought feedback to a lulling melancholy almost in slow motion, but both the titular opener and Milk Float are full of doomed romantic chords, what comes across like a soundtrack to the last date anyone will ever have in the world.

If there’s been one unfair criticism of them to date it’s that the bridge between making you think it and making you feel it has been one Happyness have never quite crossed; Floatr however has way fewer of those hang ups. There’s a nonchalance for instance to What Isn’t Nurture?, like everybody knew all along they could write songs which bottled up the knack of making surf rock for the Circle Line. They repeat the trick – top it even – on the lush, half spectral California dreams of Bothsidesing, Allen’s fragile vocals sprinkling magic over everything, while Ouch (yup) is its ballsy little brother, big RAWK guitar solo and all.

Back then everything Happyness did came over as a bit strange, but it seems it’s just taken a few years for us to catch up with them as they waited patiently for the good ship odd we’re all on. This doesn’t quite make sense, but Floatr does the explaining for them.



Almost.

7.5/10

Andy Peterson


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