It continues the beautifully layered baroque-pop sound of their previous single, ‘Besties’, blending modern chamber sensibilities with twinges of folk-pop, calling back to the groups that helped lay the groundwork for this style (‘Village Green’-era Kinks come to mind), while expanding on it with the kind of maximalism that we’ve come to expect from the band.
‘Happy Birthday’ is at its most interesting, however, with its lyrics penned by bassist Tyler Hyde, who also provides lead vocals for the track. Telling the tale of someone that has married into money, the disparity of the direct yet surreal imagery (“One of these days / You might notice the patch on my head / I’m already dead / And see the man that you married for money can’t breathe / He’s almost dead”) combined with the somewhat whimsical music that accompanies it makes for an off-kilter listening experience.
Towards the end of the song, the band breaks out into what could best be described as a baroque groove. Drummer Charlie Wayne and guitarist Luke Mark lock into a head-bobbing musical pattern while the ornate instrumentation reaches its peak, the lovely backing vocals wonderfully accompanying Hyde’s final stanza.
The track is paired with a grim but pretty stop motion video directed by Lesley-Anne Rose, who has also worked on music videos for artists like Richard Dawson. The video follows two bird-like creatures on the run from human hunters in a dark and dead forest, with a visual style reminiscent of Chris Hopewell’s work with Radiohead.
‘Happy Birthday’ continues the band's streak of thought-provoking and detailed progressive pop numbers, and proves that the band still has a strong creative drive even after the departure of lead vocalist and founding member Isaac Wood in 2022.
Keep your eyes peeled for their third studio album, ‘Forever Howlong,’ set for release on April 4th!
Ash Douglas
Image: Eddie Whelan
