The Non-stop energy behind “Zozobra” seems almost a way of life for HappyHappy, having recently released their debut album on Ribfest Records. This honesty holds true from the start with a never ending stream of poetic imagery in tracks like “Mouthwash” and “Jesus Christ” that are constantly riding a serious line of introspection and depression, broken up perfectly by hooks and moments of self parody that feel much like an exhilaratingly bipolar dance that will make you want to laugh and cry and then laugh again. There is a credo that says everything is better with horns and HappyHappy knows how to take advantage of it from the start with “Overreaction” as well as “UV Blue” while still maintaining its pace with more synth driven ballads like “NPR Loves the Postal Service” so be ready for a choir of ska-punk cynicism singing to you all of the tiny thoughts and feelings from the back of your mind. You will never stop randomly yelling “With Cream Cheese!” afterwards and each line is a whole new direction full of relatable circumstances and references to video games and other pop culture that causes anyone within earshot to do a double take time and time again; Not to mention the power-synth break down in “Brave Little Toaster” possibly the legendary apex of the album, setting the tone perfectly for “Amoeba” and “Panic Attack” in a subtler second half. There is a line in “Jesse & Kristen” that compares itself to the likes of The Mountain Goats, but this doesn’t pay enough credit to a record that stands on its own, ending with the title track “Zozobra” an epic medley conclusion that feels more like a therapy session for the many demons released along the way.
Colin Carroll
While spending most of the time either writing and playing music in Owls And Other Animals, or in the studio at Sleepy Owl Records, Colin also occasionally has opinions and writes them down.
