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Before I start, let me confess – any record entitled “Fools in Love” can ask me to dance anytime, and I wouldn’t think twice, or even glance down at my card… The flipside is that it creates greater scope for disappointment, perhaps.
Fortunately, on this, their second EP though first for Matinée, The Happy Couple (Janehoney – sic – and Tom Hilverkus from Hamburg, Germany) more than make good on their promising title. Whereas the liberal sprinkling of German in the lyrics to debut single “Boyfriend of the Week (on their own Félicité label – which means happiness, in case you miss the point!) might have been thought perhaps to betray a slight unease with English, here the lyrics are lovely and consistently well-matched with the music.
If opening track “Another Sunny Day” was a girl, she would no doubt sport the biggest, bounciest, most bouffant beehive this side of 1967. It’s an instantly catchy slice of champagne-summer picnic-pop of ‘60’s vintage – all breezy acoustic rhythms, sweet female vocals and pah-pah backing as Janehoney sings daydreamingly of a “daydreaming day” with boat-trips, kites, balloons etc.
For the next two tracks, the Couple slip effortlessly into slightly more power-poppy mode for possibly the most upbeat song ever about “A Hopeless Case” (on which Glasgow scenester Roy Moller guests) and the C86-ish “The Pop Kid”, making for two more perfectly-crafted 2-minute pop songs.
On closing track “Don’t Call It”, the Couple broaden their palettes again, however, for a darker, slower and more mature sound that both sits equally well on their sun-burned shoulders, and prove that their previous wide-eyed wonder also implies eyes that are wide open to the shadows in the world.
As a showcase then, this 4-track EP displays an impressive range of perfectly-executed songwriting that makes me, for one, wish the Couple many Happy returns.
Johan Hugo
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I've listened to this CD a few times now, but still am not sure how to describe it. I know I like it. It was in my CD player for a week and that's always a good sign!
Potion are Annie Maley and Michel Bedoya and play happy music on guitars and keyboards. They come from San Francisco but sound a little bit Spanish, to me at least. They have a pretty and funky website – also a good sign, I like it when bands have good websites – and Band of Outsiders is their third release.
It’s good too. The music is cheery and energetic and perfect for the beginning of summer. It makes me feel like dancing and has singing along even when I don’t know the words. I especially liked ‘25th Century’ which is about a journey into space and ‘Band of Outsiders’ which I originally misheard as ‘Better than Cider’!
The closing song ‘Drifting Again’ is dreamy and melodic – a very nice end to this album.
Grainne Lynch
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