ALBUM REVIEW: Happiness – Beauty School

With Leeds being known for its festival culture, it comes as no surprise to see one of the north’s most promising pop-punk bands releasing their first record on Slam Dunk Records. BEAUTY SCHOOL admit that they “grew up” at Slam Dunk Festival – the yearly church of pop-punk and emo – and that influence shines through strongly on their debut LP Happiness.

This band’s musical influences aren’t difficult to trace. Fans of THE WONDER YEARS and THE MENZINGERS will find a lot to like here, while lead single Pawn Shop Jewels possesses some noodly guitar breaks reminiscent of TINY MOVING PARTS. There are also shades of FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND and even early BOSTON MANOR, albeit with some of the sharper edges shaved off. The aforementioned single showcases the best of BEAUTY SCHOOL’s songwriting, with a soaring melancholic chorus that connects immediately. Frontman Joe Cabrera’s voice is at its best when pushed to a higher register, adding just enough grit to the sugary sweet melodies to feel distinctive. 

Silver contains the best use of the layered vocals that appear throughout the record and guitar flourishes that keep the listener on their toes. Oak is another stand-out track, with a memorable chorus and out-of-left-field guitar solo. Other times though, BEAUTY SCHOOL sound totally unremarkable. On tracks like Drysocket and Nightwalker, Cabrera goes through the motions over instrumentals that fail to elicit the emotion conveyed in the lyrics. 

Momentum slows on the back half of the record with the introspective and sincere lyrics taking centre stage. Indeed, the lyrics are the record’s strongest suit, as certain songs use unique turns of phrase and metaphor to stand out from the crowd of similarly emotional rock. However, the band table the intriguing riffs of the record’s first half in favour of slower, more melancholy compositions on the back half. This leads to a huge slow in pace, as monotony creeps into the tracklist. It’s a shame because there’s real promise shown throughout, but the album never amounts to anything truly original.

BEAUTY SCHOOL’s debut ends up being a collection of serviceable pop-punk tunes that often get mired in their own melancholy. Some moments of brilliance shine through here and there, however, making Happiness an engaging listen overall. The record’s thrilling moments show that there is more than simple musical skill among these lads, but the band will have to push further on future projects to differentiate themselves from their peers.

Rating: 6/10

Happiness is set for release on September 9th via Slam Dunk Records.

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