Review: Happiness (and 150th Post)

Happiness, Hurts (2010)

Ironic album titles are nothing new. Only a few years ago, Leona Lewis had the hit single, "Happy," which was about feeling down. Here, an entire album gets the treatment, as a series of sad, down or outright deppressing songs are collected into "Happiness". The name of the band should have tipped you off, though.
    Happiness is, of course, about looking back upon despair, and that it does in many varying ways, utilising many different musical styles in the process. Maybe light rock is your forte, or maybe gospel choir-infused indie pop? Regardless, the songs are entertaining enough in their own right and the album flows well. It isn't what I would call an "emo album," - what my mother would refer to as, "Songs to slit your wrists to." There's a definite twinge of hope amongst the sorrowful chords, some little spark that stops Happiness from going too far. Whatever it is, it works well to make the album less generic.
      Notable tracks... are everywhere. I couldn't really pick out any tracks better than the others. Of note, of course, is "Devotion", which features Kylie Minogue - a positive sign to see big celebrities sponsoring actual talent for a change ("cough"Justin Bieber"cough"). Happiness is an entertaining album to listen to in all moods, with its freshness of tone and its hopeful "twinges" that bring everything together.

Thanks.
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This is Audenshaw Reviews' 150th Post, and I'd like to say that so far, I have had a lot of fun. Occassionally it has felt like a chore, or an extra piece of work to complete, but I see it more as a hobby. And, like all hobbies, my writing has changed a lot over the past months. Why don't you go and check out my older posts, in the archives to the right? Some are bad, others masterpieces. Regardless, I hope this blog continues for another few years, and that my readership grows with it.

For the 151st time, Thanks.