Happy Curmudgeons - 2nd Chances (Album Review)

As a music reviewer, it pleases me to discover musicians succeeding in their careers. For many artists and bands, this often includes record releases and/or label signings - and verily, The Happy Curmudgeons have passed both facets with flying colors. After having recently struck a deal with Spectra Music Group, they are on the cusp of delivering their 2nd album into the world (the first being 2017’s Meant 2 Be), with the due date for this latest creation, 2nd Chances, being the 26th of July, 2024  - just over a month from when I’m writing this!

As someone unfamiliar with their work, I am genuinely excited to hear three of their latest singles. To be honest, this is not least due to the millions of streams that they appear to have received across their current discography, via digital streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. When you’re racking those sorts of numbers, something special must be going on!

Before we get into the tracks themselves - I’d like to mention a few things about the people involved in the creation of this record. Apparently, it features some amazing special guests, such as Billy Cox (Band Of Gypsys, Jimi Hendrix), Dave McMurray (Was Not Was, Rolling Stones & Bobby Weir), Jim Moose Brown (Bob Seger Band, Trisha Yearwood), Pepe' Espinosa (B.B.King, Santana) and Bobby Balderrama (Question Mark & The Mysterians). 

It should also be noted that the album was produced by Mark Byerly, and mastered by Bill Skibbe at Third Man Records - Detroit. 

So, with those notable mentions out of the way,

Track #1 for today is “Reluctant Prophets” (feat. Vaughn Mortimer).
- The combination of acoustic guitars, drums, bass, and a wholesome overall tone is wonderful. There’s room for call-and-responses with the fuzzy leads in the gaps, with the vocals keeping a conservative measure on the flow of the track. There are some interesting legato patterns, with an earnestness in the expression of the singer himself. It’s great to have some soloing from the steel strings in the instrumental sections, with some great pentatonic-blues phrasing niching alongside the indie-folk accompaniment. There’s a sense of chemistry within the performance itself, across both the singer and the instrumental sections, with the studio production helping to keep it together in a way that's both warm and balanced.

- What’s this song about?
I figure that it’s discussing someone not wanting to be able to predict the truth of what’s going on, not wanting to know the answer to some of the questions that they have about everything.

Track #2 is "2nd Chances” (feat. Amy Dixon-Lavery).
- There are more of the really pretty arpeggiated guitar layers. The drums are tight, in terms of the way that they’ve been performed and recorded - it doesn’t seem like there's a massive amount of dynamic range, but they’re well played. Amy’s vocals are fragrant and lend a homeliness to a chord progression that reminds me of a slower “Sweet Home Alabama” (at least in the verse). The buzz-rolls on the snare keep things grounded amongst the different sections, and the eventual organ is a great resonance in the mid-range. There’s an extra sung layer or two in the 2nd verse, alongside the bass, and it seems like a song that slowly wants to spread its wings. The guitar solo is noticeably gentler than the previous songs' efforts, matching the country textures immaculately. It makes great use of the real estate contained within a 5-minute piece and never overstays its welcome. It's probably my favorite of the two so far!

- What’s this song about?
I have gathered that it’s discussing the fact that nobody is perfect, and that it’s important to at least consider forgiving others, or to at least look at what we’re doing objectively and to try and either improve or make amends (along or in a relationship).

Track #3 is “Be Kind” (feat. Dave McMurray & Mark Byerly).
- Hey, there’s a saxophone this time! Awesome. Lovely extra flush texture in the mid-range, really charismatic too. The vocalists are so cheery and upbeat, with a gentle theme behind it keeping things both perky and welcoming. Again, more call-and-responses with the sax and sung parts keep it interesting. There are so many intricate guitar layers in there as well, it’s incredibly well-niched. The brass alongside the saxophone, with the cascading elements and guitar leads in the midst, introduce the final chorus and make for a thoroughly effervescent finale to this review. It genuinely feels like a song that is trying to encourage you to be kind - and yeah, the outro with the whole band saying goodbye, is gorgeous.

- What’s this song about?
I think that it’s telling the listener to try and be kinder to people, to be nicer to people, you know. It has this friendliness to the approach to the vocal parts that is both sincere and appealing. 

In Conclusion:

This album - 2nd Chances - showcases the artistic and creative endeavors of a group that 

• Clearly knows what it wants to accomplish - there’s a sense of thematic connection across these 3 songs,

• Tells stories that appeal to people, while remaining both friendly and sincere,

• Knows how to both write music at an advanced level and also back that up through solid instrumental performances

• And also have their post-production and collabs handled as well.

As far as I’m concerned, this album was a labor of love, but also incidentally a signal that this act has something really special going on. I haven’t really reviewed music in a while that has made me feel like they just want to be kind to their listeners. I feel like, in a world like today, kindness is something that can be sorely lacking - so it’s great to hear that they are attempting to fulfill that calling, in a way that seems comfortable and enjoyable for them.

I wish them the best of luck in their creative endeavors, and for the release of this album, due on the 26th of July, 2024! Oh - and if you’re one of the lucky individuals to purchase one of the 500 limited-edition red vinyl albums (pressed through Third Man Records) for 2nd Chances, I hope that you have a great time with it.

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Website: https://happycurmudgeonsband.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HappyCurmudgeons
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happycurmudgeons
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4s1pdjsv104am51rdbVIYV
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happycurmudgeonsofficial
- Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/search/happy+curmudgeons
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/2nd-chances/1751378855