Track: Happyville
Musical Act: No One Sphere
Genre/s: Shoegaze/ Experimental Rock/ Alternative Rock/ Indiepop
Today’s track of the day is ‘Happyville’ from US Alternative/Experimental Rock/Shoegaze act, No One Sphere. Mastered by Mark Gardener of legendary English band, Ride, ‘Happyville’ is a fantastic sonic journey. At the bottom of the review are links to this song on the various listening platforms of ITunes, Spotify, Bandcamp and YouTube.
📚Review: With a ringing arpeggio, ‘Happyville’ fires into a percussive wave of beautifully distorted sound, thick, spacious and as a listener, drew me in immediately. The multiple guitar sound adds layers and contrast to the sound, with the riffs, licks and effects reminiscent of multiple voices. There are so many little creative flourishes in the first eighteen seconds of the tune; nothing is superfluous, every guitar glide adding to the sound. The vocals that kick in are centred, clear, emotional, they act as a counterpoint to the unfolding guitar soundscape. The bass is empowered with more presence, smoothly wubbering and dancing in and out of the guitars. Then there’s a second where voice and guitar almost mesh into one with a wah-like blast. An instrumental passage unpacks itself as warm arpeggios are iced with a warbling topping of Sonic Youth-like noise. All elements fit this part so well, as the song drives on into a summery vocal hook, with guitars softening and become warmly psychedelic. The bass and drums punch in gently as vocals meander. A short guitar break with a micro-guitar solo follows, this doesn’t outstay it’s welcome and soon the vocals flow back into the mix. ‘Happyville’ grows in a self-assured momentum. There’s tiny shades of the more guitar-orientated tunes of New Order stabbing here and there, distant flavours of Alternative Rock bands of the past, such as The Werefrogs gently being shaken behind the twinkling vocals. Another guitar interlude follows, this time, slightly harder sounding, with beautifully chewy guitar effects bouncing around the tune. Layers of sound and vocals increase as backing vocals and more expansive spacey, reverb-infused guitar unravels. Bass powers-up again, providing a groove which plays in with the ever ascending guitar sounds. ‘Happyville’ breaks into ethereally ambient guitar strums, fading and gently decaying.
Listen to ‘Happyville’ by No One Sphere on your preferred listening platform:
🎧ITunes: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/happyville/1554615539?i=1554615540
🎧Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4xFz9MfjHyBpomJOO2cCby?si=Lkh_kGMZQvOZ_8EeDfUZnA
🎧Bandcamp: https://noonesphere.bandcamp.com/track/happyville
🎧YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l1k_hSRf4EijM_7G9QffKD_X3U23tbQg4