September 9, 2013

Happiness Is A Lie

Are you ready? Grouplove is about to hit your ears for the first time with plenty of harmonies and catchy beats to keep you smiling. They are a band from L.A. whose inception sounds like a plot-line straight out of a Hollywood indie flick: Frontman Christian Zucconi met keyboardist and singer Hannah Hooper in Brooklyn. The pair stayed up until dawn listening to mixtapes filled with some bands in common. A week later, Christian opted to go with Hannah on a trip to Greece where they came across Londoner guitarist Sean Gadd and Californian pro surfer and bassist Andrew Wessen. Drummer and producer Ryan Rabin (studying in Prague at the time) was soon convinced to join in the adventure... and Grouplove was born.

The band built up to the release of their eagerly anticipated debut album, Never Trust A Happy Song, next September 13, touring dates with Joy Formidable, Foster the People and Florence + the Machine. The upcoming LP comes on the heels of their acclaimed, self-titled EP dropped earlier this year. Really, you have to wonder whose bright idea it was not to release this LP until now. This timing is appalling, given that Grouplove's debut album is in essence the perfect summer record. 

For such a young band, these guys sound like they have been playing together for years. Most of the songs are firmly steeped in that classic 80s-90s indie scene and aren't too far from something The Pixies would do, luring you in with hints of tinged keyboards and lead singer's unique voice.

Here you have a snippet from a radio program where they talk about their imminent record:






Among the tunes, my favorite one is Colours, their get noticed single, followed closely by Don't Say Oh Well, whose lyrics hint at the roots of the band. If you aren't impressed by these melodies, you are missing out my friends! My least fav track is Get Away Car. It's a slower song and just not as easy to sing along to. 

C'mon! It's your turn now, thus do not hesitate to get into their glorious EP! You'll be sad come winter when you discover these tracks too late! However, the full-length album could not exactly meet your expectations. Don't get me wrong, but this isn't a flawless album by any means and for me there's a definite slip in quality towards the mid-latter section, resulting in tracks which sadly act as little other than filler. 


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