Wednesday 27 May 2015

Happyness "A Whole New Shape"

"A Whole New Shape" by Happyness fits into what I used to call 'Evening Sesson pop' after the 90s early evening BBC Radio 1 show that generally played more accessible indie stuff than John Peel.  In those days, a lot of the time I dismissed a lot of the 'Evening Session bands'.  They seemed less individual, easier to assimilate and hence less interesting than the more visionary, at times awkward, groups championed by Peel.  Embarrassingly, they also seemed like they were trying to be cool.  These days, all that seems a very long time ago.  Now that I'm 100% older and 72% less snobby, I'm able to enjoy simple thrills (yr listening life can't be all about Half Japanese or Keiji Haino can it?) where I can find them so "A Whole New Shape" has earned its fair share of spins:


A little bit Pavement, a little bit Teenage Fanclub etc., it's full of familiar, comforting sounds for a fellow of my vintage.  It's up there with Hooton Tennis Club's touching "Jasper"  for youthful charm, too (the 'Woo!' at the start!):


Maybe, given my new mindset, I should revisit bands like Yuck or all those Evening Session bands I haughtily spurned two decades ago.  We'll see.

"A Whole New Shape" is on the reissue of the group's debut album "Weird Little Birthday" (Moshi Moshi)

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