First Impressions: Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday

Sub-Pop

Release date: March 16

 

Track list:

 

   1. Girls FM

   2. Too Shy

   3. Cracked

   4. Perverted Girl

   5. Subliminal Message

   6. Eyes Music

   7. Maxine the Teenage Eskimo

   8. I Wanna Stay (I Runaway)

   9. Pink Strawberry Shake

 10. Zit

 11. Fun

 

First Impressions:

 

-Happy Birthday is the debut album from Sub-Pop’s latest signing, the celebratorily-named Happy Birthday. The first single and album opener, “Girls FM,” will more than likely be stuck in your head after just one play. It’s an extremely catchy track, packed with fuzzy guitars and uplifting harmonies from singer Kyle Thomas. His falsetto voice has a vintage feel, slightly reminiscent to that of Joey Ramone.

 

-“Too Shy” is another likable track. Despite sounding like something from an off-frequency radio, this is a really well crafted song. Once again full of fuzzy riffs, “oohs” and “aahs,” it’s another infectious sing-a-long from the Vermont trio.

 

 -The appropriately titled “Pink Strawberry Shake” sounds straight out of a 1960s jukebox. In fact, barring the occasional use of a synth–most of these tracks, including “Perverted Girl” and “Maxine the Teenage Eskimo , ” do have a American Graffiti feel to them, which makes the delectable number “Subliminal Message” the prom track-one for the slow dance.

 

-The second to last track, “Zit,” is surely a parody - and if it’s not, then it should be. Thomas, alongside punky riffs and a whole lot of teen angst, proclaims that he’s, “gonna die young, but I don’t give a shit… I was a teenage zit.” And somehow, like your best worst nightmare, it works.

 

-The album closer “Fun” is, ironically, not that fun. The band shows a softer side here; it's a lot mellower than the rest of the album and therefore a bit of a mood killer. Happy Birthday should stick to what they’re good at – fuzzy, vintage pop-rock jewels.

 

 

Key Tracks

 

“Girls FM,” “Too Shy,” “Perverted Girl,” “Subliminal Message,” “Pink Strawberry Shake”

 

Predictions

 

Considering the band formed less than a year ago, they have done extremely well to get signed by Sub Pop this early on. Happy Birthday has made a brand new record feel like a vintage gem, and although it has a few darker, weaker moments, this is a feel-good record, highly likeable, and enormously addictive. These damn kids and their rock and roll music.