Wow, what a nice surprise DaveRaver! Thank you for taking the time.
If anyone’s interested in hearing what he’s talking about, these songs, either as full-length versions or snippets, are on this album’s MySpace page.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
I finally got around to writing my impressions:
Overall, the theme here is abandonment and emotional expression from an outsider/outcast of society, yet finding beauty in the midst of sadness.
[/QUOTE]
I like that, it’s very true. This album was written at a very chaotic time in her life, so though she always writes the music first, then figures out what the songs are about based on the music and only then comes up with the words, there’s a lot of melancholy in it simply because of what she was going through. She’s all better now and couldn’t be in a more comfortable and joyous place, so I’m very curious as to what her next album will be like.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
One And Many: Starts abruptly • mysterious • somewhat reminiscent of her earlier work • makes full use of the technology available to her • Also reminiscent of Walt Whitman’s poem “I Contain Multitudes” • amazing guitar at the end
[/QUOTE]
I’m not familiar with that poem. I’ll have to look it up. This is about how weird and frustrating it is to have different parts of your psyche pushing and pulling you. It’s like having multiple personalities all who want different things.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Little Brother: Complex yet coherent; danceable at times!
[/QUOTE]
This song keeps inserting itself into my brain as a song virus. On first listen I wouldn’t have guessed it had the power to do that. It’s not even my favorite song and yet it keeps popping into my head.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Find Me: is how a stray cat must feel when he is lost and alone.
[/QUOTE]
If the poor little thing were in the middle of the ocean, about ready to drown. One of the saddest songs ever. This is on the same theme as Kate Bush’s The Ninth Wave, but Happy’s not trying to rip off Kate, she just wanted to explore the subject.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
She Won’t Go: Explorations of her inner mind/psyche
[/QUOTE]
Yep. A sister song to “One And Many” and “Can’t Let Go.”
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Here & Hereafter: Gorgeous harmonies and spacey synth sounds • smooth as silk • very cinematic
[/QUOTE]
This is a song that would make for a great hit, even though it’s not going to be. It’s something that would play well in the background, and sound like a breezy love song. A closer listen would reveal something deeper, with the harmonies and interesting instrumentation. An even closer listen and look at the lyrics would reveal something even deeper in that far from being a breezy love song, it’s (to me) a crushingly sad song about the fear of losing someone you love. It’s so simple, yet so remarkable.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Charlie: Explores the low end of her vocal range • Lots of contrapuntal tension and funky backbeats
[/QUOTE]
I think she sings some of the lowest notes she’s ever sung in this. This song was inspired by Robert Crumb’s brother Charles Crumb, written after she saw the documentary Crumb.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Can’t Let Go: Reflective, hard-driving, pulsating, free-flowing, gripping.
[/QUOTE]
Nice description! This is about how as an abused child she developed coping mechanisms that served her well then and helped her survive, but that hang around and give her problems now that she’s an adult and doesn’t need them anymore.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Queen: is all about how the outsiders of society are drawn to her as a “leader” while still feeling like an outsider herself. She realizes that she cannot help them all, yet accepts the role that has been thrust upon her.
[/QUOTE]
Someone said to me that this is an awfully egotistical song, but it’s not meant to be. Broken souls are drawn to her music (especially her early music) because they see themselves in her songs, and find solace in her lyrics, voice, music, and they see her as a beacon of hope too. That’s not everybody who listens to her, lots of happy, successful people who’ve never had crushing problems love her music too, but this specific song is about the ones who do.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Treehouse: Mysterious and beautiful song about building your own exclusive world within a world.
[/QUOTE]
Kind of a sister song to “Queen” but mostly about a childhood where she was knocked around, abused, excluded and fucked over. It’s not egotistical to want to be surrounded by people who like you, something she never had as a child.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Chosen One: Melancholy narrative about being a perpetual bridesmaid, never the bride.
[/QUOTE]
This should be subtitled “The Bridesmaid Song.” How many songs have there been about bridesmaids? She wrote this years before she met her husband, so it’s several years out of date, but it’s so beautiful I’m glad she included it. It’s really more about wanting someone to choose you out of all the women in the world, rather than pining for a wedding, as such.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
Fall: Dreamy and smooth song about the current season.
[/QUOTE]
She also has songs called “Summer” and “Winter” so now we only need one about the Spring.
[QUOTE=DaveRaver]
What a gorgeous gift Happy has given us!
[/QUOTE]
Agreed (but of course, I would, right?) and thank you for saying it.