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Grouplove
Never Trust a Happy Song
Atlantic Recording Corporation
2011
Grouplove’s self-titled EP debuted in America after the band re-united and recorded in L.A. Originally just known as Group began with Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi’s romantic getaway to Crete. There they met their other band members and traveled the island for the rest of the trip playing around, writing, and singing songs. The entire EP embodies the essence of the liberating experiences the group felt during their travels. “Gold Coast” reminds the listener to not feel trapped by life as the low tuned guitar gears the mind with a simple drum bass beat to a level of reflection and thought, leaving the rest of the instruments to follow shortly behind.
However, with the group’s (no pun intended) new album Never Trust a Happy Song the feeling of release a listener gets from the EP seems to get lost from all the different genre tracks this album offers. Grouplove’s LP, Never Trust a Happy Song, begins with an upbeat melodramatic “Itchin’ on a Photograph,” giving a similar vibe to the EP. As the album continues, it becomes a drawn out story told in too many genres, losing the feel of the album. From the rockabilly sounding “Chloe” to the experimental Stars sound-alike “Slow” track, Never Trust a Happy Song, loses the essence of the liberating music the listener anticipated from the band that had stepped out of their little country in the “Don’t Say Oh Well” track only off of the EP.
Fortunately, one track stayed original on both albums. “Naked Kids” sounds like the exciting portions of the group’s travels with seagulls in the background in the intro as they sing along to the happy indie guitar strums, simple drum beat, tambourine, and hand claps. This track is so catchy that it makes one want to hop in a car on a sunny day with friends and cruise to the nearest beach.
-Halie Darvis
