The Underground of Happiness

A brilliant declaration of progressive folk values from two of Britain’s most distinctive contemporary voices, and regulars on the show's playlists over the last few years. Rachael Dadd brings ukulele strums, shakers (in fact a box of matches apparently) and a loping drumbeat with a charm-the-pants-off-you chorus vocal line from the Kate Bush school (“ca-ca-co-co-yup”) to an uplifting worksong. In Rozi Plain’s case, her signature syncopated guitar, softly insistent backbeat, a glorious kosmische synth line and a bank of celestial harmonies develop an eminently danceable groove, perfect for the stoic nostalgia of the lyric. One sprightly and bouncy, the other a sort of motorik murmuring. Put together, they make an intriguing yin and yang. It’s all most beguiling and joyous and, in short, very classy pop music.

We've mentioned Bristol native Rachael Dadd twice in the last few weeks, first in relation to her new single Balloon , and then in advance of her new album . We've had the album, Bite the mountain , on around the UOH cabin for the last couple of weeks now and it really is a wonderful piece of work (It was largely recorded, apparently, while travelling around Japan, and the sleeve cover text reflects this influence.) On the face of it, it's a version of English folk music (the songs generally concern domestic or pastoral situations, with close-at-hand details), but let it sit a bit longer and strands of classical, jazz, world music and even some avant garde tendencies come to the surface. The single Balloon is a tune of uncomplicated beauty about a birth, which has an appropriate sense of wide-eyed wonder at the world. The stop-start piano waltz Moth in the motor begins straightforwardly enough, but goes on to hint at jazz inflections (not unlike the way Nick Drake does),...

You may remember Rachael Dadd from this post about her new single a couple of weeks ago . Well there's a video for the A-side Balloon now, which features creeping moustaches, fruit and a turntable in a thoroughly charming stop-motion animation. It'll certainly appeal to anyone into Lisa Hannigan , for example, but I'd venture to suggest there's more depth to it than that. And as if you weren't in a good enough mood after that, here's another miniature stop-motion classic showing Rachael turning her hand to art design, badge-making and all sorts. With the lovely Balloon playing in the background again. I don't know about you, but that makes me go, " I need to get my hands on that "...It's out on August 15th on Broken Sound , along with her album Bite the mountain , which we will speak about again, I'm pretty sure.

Rachael Dadd – Balloon (Broken Sound Music, from the album Bite the mountain ) Beautiful, exultant folk tune centered around a ukulele strum which gathers sparkles of what sounds like thumb piano, with lovely clarinet flurries. Reminiscient of Sufjan Stevens although less formal, more down-home. A tantalising foretaste of the Bristolian's upcoming album, most of which was recorded during a 2-month trip around Japan, which is the kind of back story that also gets me going. The other album track heard by UOH, Sticking in pins , favours strings, ukulele, brushed snare and massed vocals, to equally uplifting effect. Have a listen to this, another great tune from last year’s Elephee EP. And another track from Bite the mountain that just came to light. You can follow Rachael’s travels (including encounters with haybails and Japanese gobo seeds) on her blog here – http://rachaeldadd.blogspot.com/