The Underground of Happiness

A second album from Dan Carney (and friends) full of his signature hushed motorik, that wonderful combination of soft but insistent backbeats and sotto voce vocals. Things to expect - -the beautiful kosmische drift of ‘Civil Engineer’ and ‘Recondition’. -the twinkling psych folk edge to ‘You can turn it off’ and ‘Hider’. -the great brooding atmosphere of ‘A break in the code, a cork in the stream’ helped by a bass rumble, droning woodwind and wonderfully tense mandolin-style guitar strumming. -the impassioned vocal of ‘Breakout’. -the whirring menace of ‘Skeleton’ while it sparkles and shifts gloriously. -the lovely sturdy organic feel to the instruments, typically warm picked acoustic guitars, warbling organs and middy snare beats. Another triumph of subtly insinuating, slightly melancholy yet ultimately strangely joyous pop music.

Another album that got lost in the summer recess and backlog but well worth waiting around for. A return from Dan Carney (ex Dark Captain ) and an album which beautifully carries on the thread of spooked folk and krautrock beats from his former band. Opener ‘Skydive’ immediately sets out the beguliing combination of hushed vocals, sombre drums and plucked acoustic guitars, later joined by some mournful, long-bowed cello. It’s low-key but positively haunting. ‘Everything’s a system, everything’s a sign’ next adds some droning clarinet to create a great reedy undertow. ‘Vampires’ then changes the tone brilliantly with buzzing electric guitar power chords and percussive scrapes against a jerky breakbeat. The nervous energy of the arrangement perfectly captures the vague disquiet of the lyric. ‘Spanish archer’ employs a mid-range tug of E-bow against a chorus of “ba-ba-bas” which just can’t be denied. And the album keeps these high standards. Wherever you turn, thrum...

Today is the 25th anniversary of the death of Cork post-punk legend Finbarr Donnelly (there's a special tribute event at The Pavilion to mark the date). We had to have some Five Go Down To The Sea to mark it in our own way - 'There's a fish on top of Shandon (swears he's Elvis)' still sounds remarkable today. Remember Dark Captain ? Meet Astronauts , that's Dan Carney's new group, sounding quite in keeping and just as great as before, cellos and beats and drones. Nice to hear it with the folk swing of Arch Garrison and the spooky cultish mood of Paul Giovanni's Wicker Man film music. Trans Am, The Elwins, Matmos and more, check them all on these pages. June 17 2014 w/ Death in the Sickroom,FGDTTS,Arch Garrison,Wicker Man s'track,Trans Am,The Elwins++ by Conor O'Toole on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhapp...