EP REVIEW: Happy People – Greer

At a mean four tracks long, GREER’s latest EP Happy People is definitely bitesize. It’s the opposite of an epic, clocking in at just over ten minutes – but it’s the opposite of an epic in every other sense too, in a really good way. Rather than going for magnitude, GREER go for mellow, and they hit the mark. Laden with hazy, indie-leaning guitars and unmistakeable California cool, the Orange County quartet deliver laissez-faire bangers with fuzz and panache. So, both in size and in style, Happy People is a total breath of fresh air, fleeting and breezy and self-sufficient.

Lead single and title track Happy People is actually one of the EP’s noisiest moments, with layers of guitar riffs building out of the opening groove and chilled verses. Vocalist Josiah’s delivery is reminiscent of the easygoing cool of THE STROKES infused with an undeniably gen-Z nihilism, which carries through into the bitter sting of the lyrics. Happy People isn’t as perky as its title would suggest, rather placing these ‘happy people’ as an aspirational ‘other’ group that the band are striving to be like through self-reflection and self-growth.

As an EP, Happy People is definitely a fitting soundtrack for this kind of introspective development, though. Each track boasts a pleasant relaxedness even as it tackles tricky subject matter, soundtracking the fact that positivity can rise out of negativity. Therapeutic synth backdrops sparkle across the EP, at agreeable odds with some of the spikier guitar and drum lines which take from a more classic punk sound. Little Echo’s jagged percussion swings lightly alongside the woozy mist of synth that hovers just below the surface, and Way Out’s bassline mooches along underneath one of the most buoyant melodies of the EP, but GREER demonstrate their blending skills most on closer Connect The Dots. The gentle vocals are a comfort blanket above the soft melancholy of the acoustic guitar, but it’s all drawn together by the dreamy, ghostly production in the background. It’s gorgeous, comforting, and just a bit sad altogether.

Happy People is GREER’s sophomore release as a band, and it already demonstrates a cohesion of sound that’s impressive. They’re establishing themselves as a sparkling, slightly blue, BROBECKS-in-2021-ish merging of poignant lyricism and shimmering, carefree instrumentals that challenge each other just enough to keep you on your emotional toes – it’ll be exciting to see if they can maintain this tightness and consistency across a longer release.

Rating: 7/10

Happy People is out now via Epitaph Records.

Like GREER on Facebook.