The Happy Fits (ultra cheesy. hooks for days.)

Everything You Do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKf11AW1RbM

Cruel Power
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNLRVBHspiY

I posted about this New Jersey-based indie pop/power pop band on the Power Pop? thread a few weeks ago, but decided to start a thread because I'm absolutely addicted to their two singles from their forthcoming album, Lovesick. These are extremely bright, upbeat, sugary slices of pop rock that may be too much for some on ILX, but I suspect will be just right for others. Will the rest of the album warrant this whole new thread? Only time will tell, but it's a risk I'm willing to take!

I initially picked up on them because, after parting ways with their founding guitar player Ross Monteith, the band picked up two new female singer/guitarists, Raina Mullen and Nico Rose. I've been keeping tabs on Mullen after her previous band, the jam band Ghost Light, called it about a year after I first learned about them. She has a lot of songwriting talent that was evident in Ghost Light, which I suspect she is bringing to this band as well. I haven't gotten around to researching Nico Rose's origins, but she is also extremely capable on vocal/guitar duties.

I've been working my way through the band's back catalog, and it's been a mixed bag for me. The original band members started recording immediately out of high school, so their early tunes are not as compelling to me as the new stuff. They get better as they go along, though. Going through the little playlist I made of older Happy Fits music that actually works for me, I'm just now realizing that some of my favorites coincide strongly with their released singles. My investigation is nowhere near complete, though, because that kind of research and evaluation gets in the way of bumping the new singles, which I'm dizzily in love with.

Achey Bones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml9nOWpLCU4

No Instructions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqonGTaohqo

Do Your Worst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teL54k9DbYU

I was not, overall, all that charmed with the band's earlier music. However, the advance singles from the new album continue to kick ass! Black Hole dropped yesterday and it is another power pop bange. Do You See Me starts as an acoustic number that takes a minute to get going, but builds really well. I'm really anticipating this album! I hope someone else cracks this thread and finds them to be likeable as well.

Black Hole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDzoL04DDNY

Do You See Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN8czTULfz8

The Happy Fits album, Lovesick, came out last week and I'm overjoyed! In my opening post above, I mentioned that "my favorites coincide strongly with their released singles." This is the case again here, but I really like most of the non-single tracks as well. The backing vocals and harmonies are amazingly fun and well thought-out. In addition to the instruments played by the main band members (cello, guitar, guitar, and drums), some of the songs are augmented by a full string section. It is lush and gorgous.

The opening salvo (consituting Side A of the vinyl) is a thrilling ride:

Do You See Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN8czTULfz8
This song, which I wasn't as sure about when I first posted it two weeks ago, makes a great opening track. Builds from a demo-level vocal and guitar strummer into a sweeping electric guitar/cello duet.

Everything You Do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKf11AW1RbM

Cruel Power
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNLRVBHspiY
Everything You Do and Cruel Power were the first two singles from the album and they left me wanting more from the moment they were released. Everything You Do, in particular, was my song of the summer. They definitely derive from late 70s/early 80s power-pop. After they came out, I went back and listened to a lot of Nerves, Rubinoos, etc.

Lovesick #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFFhXCIXVNQ
The final pre-release single. Raina Mullen gets lead vocal duties on this lovelorn ballad that gets a kick in the pants halfway through. It genuinely gives me chills/hair-on-neck-standing. Not quite tears-welling-up, but close.

The Nerve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDpaNqv7QRU
More fun power-pop with a catchy synth line!

It's not a perfect album. After a few listens, though, my criticisms are relatively minor:

*At 50 minutes and 15 tracks, the album is slightly overstuffed. It meanders through a few distinct areas. The last three songs build to what is supposed to be an emotional finale, but I'm not as into them. YMMV.

*The lyrics walk a fine line between ecstatically cheesy and unbearably corny. Most of the time, I think they land firmly on the former, but there are some groaners and head-scratchers. In a different thread last week, someone remarked about how Gen Z-ers are just generally cornier than us cynical old grumps, i.e. language like "my babe," "my love," "my dear." If accurate, then this definitely tracks.

*The antepenultimate track, Superior, ends with a cringy faux voicemail addressed to the lead singer, Calvin. It might reference band-lore that I don't understand or something. I don't know, it feels wack to me.

*Both of the fellas in the band (singer/cellist Calvin Langman and drummer Luke Graydavis) are good singers, but occasionally push their limits. Luke gets primary vocal duties on the verses of the synthy pop funfest Wild In Love, and it may be an acquired taste.

Bonus content. A live version of Black Hole:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rUxYvACv5w

Don't know why I felt like I had to neg those final three songs earlier. I've been spinning this on repeat all day at work and they're very good. Maybe just that there are higher highs elsewhere in the album...

(...probably just that I'm grumpy in the morning.)

The BOMBAST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5ojzZG98TM

Yes, I'm going to just keep bumping this throughout the week. I won't give up on you yet, ilm.

Ok, so here's a couple of songs from a mid-album slow-down that vary from the (mostly) power-pop stuff I shared before. Guys, these songs are CHEEEEEEESY. But they have been stuck in my head for DAYS. The earworms are strong in this one, hand to God.

I Could Stare at You for Hours
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3lOav7upI8

Sarah's Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPn7BMFyIRM

quite like "everything you do"

Thanks for checking out the thread and listening, map! Yeah, if there's one song I'd like everyone to take away from this record, it's that one.

They'll be in DC at the 9:30 club this week, but I can't attend. Every clip I've seen of them playing live on this tour show that they can really bring it. There was a clip somewhere a few weeks back of them practicing harmonies backstage - I'll have to see if I can dig that up.

Anyway, I'm going to keep shouting about this band as long as they keep knocking my socks off. This song - I Still Think I Love You - is from the back half of the record, but it's been stuck in my head for a couple weeks and I think it deserves some attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWvMjpQNu3k

I still have so much love for this band. They're on their way out for the second leg of their tour, for which I definitely got tickets this time. Last night they did a livestream from their rehearsal space, and it kicked my ass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k8tu3Rnzho

I know that these guys are my particular hobby horse that hasn't gained any traction on ILM despite my efforts, but I really do love this band and I'm going to keep talking to myself about them here in this space.

There was a clip somewhere a few weeks back of them practicing harmonies backstage - I'll have to see if I can dig that up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va0OMkQnHMk

^I forgot to dig that up but here it is.

Here's another one from last summer, just singing in a stairwell. Honestly, if you're in a band and you're not singing in a stairwell - what are you even doing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_uu8l1xTqE

https://i.postimg.cc/LX7Cb6RN/boyziimen.png
Boyz II Men knew what was up. Is this a Philadelphia thing?

I only listened to the first two tracks in the thread. Remind me a little of The Wonder Stuff.

I had to wait (six days, apparently) to get to a place where I could listen to some Wonder Stuff, who I hadn't heard in 30+ years. I had only listened to them a handful of times from my best friend who tried to convince me that they were similar to Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Not close enough to my 13-year-old taste, anyway.

But yeah, althought it's not a 1:1 comparison, I can absolutely hear the similarities in there, particularly in the personality the lead singer brings to the equation. Thanks for the recommendation.

Been increasingly obsessed about this band over the past year. Will be seeing them live on May 1st in Towson, Maryland and am totally stoked.

In addition to the rehearsal livestream that I posted above, they've also been livestreaming select stops on their tour. For example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8izVdFpNDpQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nicn_iQvyvg

I was not, overall, all that charmed with the band's earlier music.

Seeing how their music works in a live context has really opened my ears to a lot of their pre-Lovesick era songs that I hadn't had much affection for on first listen.

Also, in my post from last September reviewing Lovesick, I was dismissive of the album's closing trio of songs. I grew to like them AND the song "I Remember" has become a particular fav, partially thanks to live clips like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9hkp7ajzKU

(from a gig they played with a guest string section in Boulder)

*Both of the fellas in the band (singer/cellist Calvin Langman and drummer Luke Graydavis) are good singers, but occasionally push their limits. Luke gets primary vocal duties on the verses of the synthy pop funfest Wild In Love, and it may be an acquired taste.

Also, have now come around to Luke being a crucial part of their vocal blend, as well as a terrific fucking drummer.

One of my favorite of their older songs, as performed by the new lineup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb6mj5Oz5I4

(along with a guest bass player)

are you not english??

Nope, I'm American.

Finally caught their show on Friday night. Like being shot out of a cannon. Showmanship, energy, and charisma in spades. Honestly, still a little dazed from the whole experience. I remember being maybe 15 songs into their set when they announced they had just a few more for us. What? I was just getting started! Surely there must be 30 more songs?

Anyway, they're playing the last show of the Lovesick tour tonight in Hartford, if there are Nutmeggers amongst us who love music.

Since this was the third tour from the album, I suspect that it will close out the album cycle. I'm looking forward to whatever they serve up next. If you missed out this time, don't miss out next time!