Summer – the season is commonly linked to afternoons at the beach, evening barbecues, and, to top it all off, nighttime fireworks. The summer is a time to be happy and enjoy yourself, to forget your worries and just relax. It is, ideally, almost a three month long party. And music adjusts itself accordingly. A good “summer album” should be upbeat and optimistic – something easy to dance to. Grouplove’s debut album, the ironically titled Never Trust a Happy Song, is a collection of happy songs that fits the criteria perfectly and could have been a wonderful album for the 2011 summer. Sadly, the album finds itself in the unfortunate predicament of arriving just as the party is emptying out. Released September 13th, Never Trust a Happy Song is a good but out of season album.
Although the album has its misses, most songs are definitely worth a listen. The album’s opener, “Itchin’ On a Photograph,” is a catchy song about letting go of your past and “living now and living loud.” The song is very reminiscent, both musically and thematically, of Grouplove’s first single “Colours,” which reappears on this album as track number four. It tops off the solid first third of the album which also includes “Tongue Tied” and “Lovely Cup”. “Cruel and Beautiful World”, with its soft acoustic verses and crescendoing chorus, is a great lead up to the albums climatic finale, “Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten.”
Never Trust a Happy Song is at its worst with “Naked Kids”. It tries much too hard to epitomize summer, which results in unoriginal lyrics like “cruising down the highway with my friends, top down, and we’re all on our way to the beach.” It’s topped off with poorly harmonized lyrics and cheesy clapping.
The album has its misses, but it’s a good debut album, although overall forgettable. Never Trust a Happy Song certainly was not a hit, but it is still worth it to keep Grouplove on the radar, and their sophomore album will be something to look forward to.
Never Trust a Happy Song gets a 7/10.