The emergence lo-fi pop craftsmen Happy Birthday has been a quick and mostly unexpected one, considering their relative inexperience and anonymity within the indie-rock world. A year and a half after forming for what was supposed to originally be a one-time performance, the trio of Kyle Thomas, Chris Weisman, and Ruth Garbus decided to continue playing together, forming what became Happy Birthday as we know it today. After recently signing with Sub Pop Records, the group has now released their debut eponymous release.
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Happy Birthday | 
"Happy Birthday"
(Sub Pop)
Released March 16, 2010
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With their sound falling somewhere between neo-psychedelic pop and garage rock revival, Happy Birthday’s hybrid style draws not only from these two larger influences, but also from a variety genres such as lo-fi, punk and soul. And it is this fusion rings throughout Happy Birthday. Nearly every new phrase and riff jumps out as familiar and recognizable, nearly to the point where it feels like you have heard parts of all these songs before. “Pink Strawberry Shake” crawls forward with a determined purpose, distantly summoning Pavement’s “Silence Kit;” while “Subliminal Message” draws from the drums of Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More.”
“Girls FM” immediately stands out as the record’s shining moment, as this Elephant Six throwback is particularly reminiscent of Beulah, except for replacing brass bombast with a rawer guitar sound and energetic feel. The resemblance to Beulah persists throughout Happy Birthday, including their subtly catchy riffs on “Perverted Girl,” the sunny harmonies within “Too Shy” and the infectious chorus on “I Want to Stay (I Runaway).”
In some ways, the band’s debut release stands akin to Miles Kurosky’s recent solo effort The Desert of Shallow Effects through its imperfect brand of post-pop. As a cohesive record, however, Happy Birthday is far from perfect, including some questionable inclusions such as the abrasive dissonance on “Cracked” and the lackluster garage rock of “Zit”. Fortunately, the hits outweigh the misses, as Happy Birthday provides a compelling debut full of rough, but glowing lo-fi gems. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
