It is easy to see the new one from SICKY as the spiritual brother in the war against listener expectations of The Cure’s “Love Cats” era. I’m not saying that “I’m Happy If You’re Happy” really sounds like that iconic pop song, (well, maybe a bit) but considering some of his earlier music has more than the whiff of Manic Street Preacher-esque alt-rock about it, amongst other things, this is about as far removed from that as you can get. Comfort zones be damned.
The music perfectly matches the title: jaunty grooves, lush, hazy vocals, and all manner of silly sounds and sideways sonics, garnered from his kid’s music room, apparently—a broken violin, a ukulele, glockenspiels, bells, drums, and a mouth organ.
All this is tethered down by Jen Bone’s masterful double bass, again an unconscious, or perhaps not so unconscious, nod to Mr Smith’s aforementioned amorous felines. Again, this reference point suits the song, being that it is about seduction, temptation, and the winning of someone’s heart.
Throw in his daughter’s glorious and beautifully chaotic backing vocals, not to mention their brilliant turkey impressions, and everyone on makeshift percussion, and you have a song as joyous to listen to as it must have been fun to record.
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Garbage Town album
The Bridge
A Bite Without A Mark
Garbage Town
