ALBUM REVIEW: How Not To Be Happy – Gloo

Self help books may help some, and not others, which is where this new release comes in. South-coast three piece indie-punks GLOO want their new album, How Not To Be Happy to go against the grain a bit and act as a form of escapism for those that have different pressures in their lives. This fun filled album is designed to get people up and jumping around, with the jokey lyrics leaving a lasting impression, and hopefully helping the listener forget about their worries at the same time.

Opening the album up with some upbeat drum rhythms, then storming into action with some impactful guitar strokes, I Can’t Hear Myself Think does not fail to create an impression. This is accompanied with the dynamic vocals of Thomas Harfield, whose empowering tone will not fail to get the listener up and dancing. Basing the album around the idea of escaping from the everyday pressures everyone experiences, the catchy chorus on this track definitely makes you want to throw away your troubles and have a good boogie.  

The next track, Ride, has a similar effect, bursting into action with some well executed guitar, bass and drum slaps. The hook of this song is sure to engage any crowd it’s played to, giving off elements of THE BEACH BOYS vibes in places, but with the angst turned up a few levels. The video for this single shows off the playful and fun personalities of the band members, with them riding a number of different objects, all whilst giving a lesson in green screen 101. The likeable nature of the band themselves make the songs they produce even more enjoyable, resulting in tracks which are successful in helping the listener to forget about their worries.

Takes The Piss gives us some more snappy rhythms and riffs, instantly making the listener tap their foot or nod their head in enjoyment. The cheeky nature of the lyrics in this album, paired with the aggressive yet playful delivery may result in the listener shouting along to the tuneful tracks, relaying this feeling of freedom of your worries and taking a trip back to your childhood with the nostalgic feel the album gives off.

Beginning with some more memorable riffs, Big Smoke possibly displays the more aggressive side of the vocals for GLOO, which could be a real therapeutic experience for listeners to shout along to. The band likes to include some fun vocal sound effects in the lower layer of their songs, which adds to the charm of the tracks. This song in particular has a raw element to it, making the overall sound even more impactful.

One of the more tongue-in-cheek tracks, Rizla, is about getting your Rizla wet in the rain and having to buy more to replace them. The band has said this song in particular was inspired by Blues chord progressions, which is a nice change up to the previous sounds on the album. It lacks any drum beats throughout, but this doesn’t take away from the song in any way, and in fact proves that this band has a range of sounds they can produce. Being the last song, it rounds the collection off nicely, leaving the listener hopefully less stressed after this form of escapism.

Rating: 9/10

How Not To Be Happy is set for August 27th via Hassle Records.

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