The problem with happy music

[Weekly Listening, Week 19 – 20]

In an effort to catch up on a growing backlog of tracks I’ll have to double things up for the next couple of posts, reviewing two weeks worth of music listening per post. This one features songs for the finale of summer 2018 and the start of a new school term. Let’s get into it.

Thunderclouds

by LSD (Single) (2018)

23 plays  (1:11:41), Song of the Week (Week 19)

With UK and US regularly topped by auto-tune rappers and talentless producers, it’s easy to forget that not all modern popstars are creating terrible music. Enter LSD, a superstar pop trio from three corners of the globe, ready to prove that today’s popular music isn’t all the bad. Combining the powers of British singer and rapper Labrinth, Australian singer Sia and American DJ Diplo, LSD has all the talent and experience they need to be hugely successful from their very first single. Indeed, they were, and continue to be. Thunderclouds is their third single, and whilst not quite in keeping with the band’s psychedelic theme, it’s easily the best of the three songs released so far. Sia and Labrinth take share singing duties, both of whom obviously make for a fantastic listen. I do prefer Labrinth’s voice in the first chorus compared to Sia who takes the second chorus, but really it’s down to personal preference to pick between these two world class singers. As for the music – Diplo’s side of things – the chorus is superbly written, working off an overused chord sequence, yet still keeping things fresh with a very catchy hook and off-kilter horn stabs. Another chorus and bridge would have been welcome, but as long as these three keep making music together, I’m not going to complain.

Good News

by White Denim from Performance (2018)

6 plays (26:06)

The problem with happy songs is cheese. A set of wholesome lyrics set to a major key can often sound more sickly than heartwarming, and most power ballads telling you to “be proud of who you are” are rightly criticised for being rather shallow and trite. It can also somewhat depressingly show neglect of the sadness and depression in the world, with artists attempting to ignore real life problems through a cheery sax solo. (This idea in itself can make for a fascinating song topic – check out Portugal. The Man’s Smile and Jungle’s Happy Man.) All that being said, I am definitely not someone who angrily boycotts all music that veers towards a major key altogether – happy music, composed well and steered far clear of the all-too-common pop stereotypes, can make for deeply enjoyable listening. Of course, a few more emotional ingredients are necessary for a great track: relatability, hidden sadness and perhaps a dash of inexplicable nostalgia comes to mind. Thankfully, White Denim’s Good News is a happy song that offers plenty of the latter two. Even in the dullest of moods, it’s difficult not to break a smile when the fuzzy guitar makes its calamitous entrance 10 seconds in. On the face of it, Good News provides a joyous four minutes, complete with a squelchy guitar solo and slightly melodramatic melodic variation later on. However, like many of the best songs, delve deeper into the lyrics and you’ll realise all is not as it seems. The lyrics are lonely, yet filled with a blind optimism which is perhaps worth celebration in itself. “I’ve got good news”, James Petralli insists, yet a niggling worry still lingers at the end of the bridge: “Do you still need me?” Once the context becomes clear, continued listening becomes more and more depressing – whilst Petralli’s mood may be hopeful, there’s a sense his attempts at rekindling a failing relationship are destined to fail and – as he alludes to in the lyrics – this good news may not last long. This becomes all the more apparent in Good News‘ disturbing descent into madness in its conclusion, with Petrelli’s good mood desperately trying to keep control, yet eventually collapsing, perhaps just like his relationship. So what’s the key to writing a bearable happy song? As Good News demonstrates, just make it a sad song in disguise.

Talk

by Beach Season (Single) (2018)

12 plays (45:36)

I often find the best songs come with originality. Beach Season’s Talk is incomparable with its bassy, stripped down and musically fascinating groove. A lengthy, atmospheric intro sets the mood before it cuts out, making way for the vocals. Despite a temporary end to the ambient synths, Beach Season keeps things rolling (just about) through sporadic drums and basslines that weave their way around the melody. The biggest shock comes at the chorus, with the first two beats taken over by an all-encompassing bass slide and side effects. The subsequent synth bass leaves plenty of space, and despite almost becoming too avant-garde, the groove survives. In fact, Talk is all about leaving things out, seemingly omitting the titular word in the choruses. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea – even I can’t decide how much I’m into it – but what Talk certainly excels in offering a refreshing change to the norm.

Restless Sea

by Louis Futon feat. Opia (Single) (2017)

11 plays (33:33), Song of the Week (Week 20)

After listening to hours of Opia over the holidays, I’ve come to realise that everything the Yale graduates work on turns to gold. This time they’re helping producer Tyler Minford – otherwise known as Louis Futon – produce one of the biggest tracks of his career. With an attack and beat very similar to Opia’s collaboration with Whethan on Aftertaste, Cole Citrenbaum provides a competent vocal performance in a track dominated by the choruses’ scintillating guitar fills, which take centre stage. Kick drum is also key, grounding the fills and providing plenty of reasons to get your head bobbing and foot tapping. Futon also treats us to a large climax, a feature that I almost always love in songs. It’s a deadly mix of cool and aggressive, and I can’t get enough of it.

We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow

by Soko from I Thought I Was an Alien (2012)

10 plays (26:50)

If you ever want an album to dampen your mood, Soko’s I Thought I Was an Alien is a perfect choice. That is of course not to say that Alien is so bad it will make you sad, but that Stephanie Sokolinski’s voice and lyrics are so poignant on songs like For Marlon and First Love Never Die that you might cry. We Might Be Dead Tomorrow fits with the theme, but is unlikely to be as dark as you’re expecting, showing touchingly vulnerable love rather than a fear of imminent death. Delicate and compact vocal harmonies and a beautiful acoustic arrangement make for a breath-taking, albeit tantalisingly short piece of music. Soko’s voice comes in and out of focus, deftly showing moments of strength, immediately followed by reluctance and fear, particularly in the repeated closing lines “‘Cause soon enough we’ll die”. We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow is a song that comes and goes like a gentle morning mist, and despite its simplicity it’s equally raw and beautiful.

Smokey Eyes

by Lincoln from A Constant State of Ohio – EP (2017)

8 plays (26:00)

Ohio multi-instrumentalist Lincoln Lutz is well overdue a mention on Undertone. Whilst initially being a slow-burner, I’ve fallen in love with every one of his small catalog of five songs, all of which feature on the near-perfect EP A Constant State of Ohio. Hook-driven Smokey Eyes was an early standout for me. Right from the furious opening drum fill, Smokey Eyes gets the heart racing as Lincoln deals out some incredible lyrics that require far more attention than they’re getting. A piano breakdown provides a more exposed look at Lincoln’s vocals full of desperation and anguish. Then comes one of the most spine-tingling moments of the whole EP, with the chorus suddenly kicking back in with style. Stylish, Lincoln is, but he is also so so much more. I can’t wait to discuss other must-listen tracks like Banks and Downhill in future posts.

Feels So Good ◑

by HONNE feat. Anna of the North from Love Me / Love Me Not (2018)

6 plays (22:48)

Whilst all of their music may not be entirely my taste, I love electronic duo HONNE simply for the double single project they have been getting attention for all summer. Feels So Good ◑ features alongside Shrink ◐ at the end of a 5-single series, each featuring two tracks of contrasting moods. The ebullient Feels So Good ◑ is my favourite track from the resulting album Love Me / Love Me Not. Whilst it may suffer a little from having an annoyingly repetitive hook, it’s both an intimate and atmospheric song at its root. The almost blindingly bright first chorus lands like a splash of water to the face, waking you up, but perhaps not in the most pleasant way. Feels So Good ◑‘s highlights are in the warmer verses where the dual vocals really pay off. It’s without doubt a song more suited to winter than summer, but Feels So Good ◑ is nonetheless a great song that I can enjoy all year round.