Review Summary: This album is the pinnacle of both DGD and pop/progressive post-hardcore.
I first discovered DGD on this site, and after I decided to check them out, and I was not disappointed. DGD opened my eyes to what post-hardcore could be, and my absolute favorite album by them is Happiness.
The music on this album Top notch. The guitars are intricate and catchy as hell, par for the course for Will Swan. Matt Mingus and Jason Ellis shouldn't be forgotten either, because they add so much to the sound of happiness. Some highlights include: Carl Barker, Tree Village, and Nasa.
Vocally, frontman Kurt Travis is at his best. Unlike DGD's self-titled, on this album Kurt fully comes into his own, from soft crooning on both SBS's, to harsher vocals on Nasa and Tree Village, Kurt shows his full range. Will Swan's screams are ok on this album, but need more refining, which they won't get.
Lyrically, this album is very diverse. Most songs with only Kurt on vocals are generally about relationships and breakups, but their done very well, like both of the Strawberry Swishers and Carl Barker. Will regularly talks about social issues, and it isn't quite as grating as it got on the self-titled. My only complaint lyrically is that without Jon Mess, there aren't very many silly or weird lyrics, but I digress.
If I had to give one reason as to why this is my favorite DGD album, it would be because of consistant quality. There wasn't one single song I didn't like. Every single song has something to love, whether it be music or lyrics, in most cases it's both. I truly believe that if your a fan of poppy, progressive post-hardcore, this album will satisfy you just as much as it did me.
Suggested tracks:
Nasa
Happiness
Strawberry Swisher pt.2
Carl Barker
