Review Summary: "When I feel sad I want it all to be okay"
Since their fantastic debut, "Jewellery," Micachu and the Shapes have loosened their song structures, degraded their production quality, and chosen to embrace the harsher aspects of sound over catchy melodies. "Good Sad Happy Bad" is far less abrasive than the band’s previous release, "Never," but continues their march into the realm of the avant-garde. In the past, frontwoman Mica Levi’s music has been thrown into the broad genre of “art-pop,” but the music on this release is far too strange and unstructured to be considered “pop.” For Levi, maturity and progression as an artist has meant reducing the accessibility of her music through any means possible. On this release, the production is beyond lo-fi, the melodies and rhythms are repetitive, and Levi’s singing sounds more like drunken slurring. As a result, "Good Sad Happy Bad" feels unfocused, but manages to confound and captivate in ways that forgive some of its more artsy tendencies.
“Sad” opens the album with a frenetic energy that is unfortunately unparalleled, save for the scream-sampling “Unity.” The other songs slog behind, and fail to revive the momentum of the opener. The music here is skeletal, stripping songs down to their barest state; a style that is alternately engaging and monotonous. Songs like “Sea Air” use the minimal instrumentation to create a dizzying effect that engages more than it bores, but too many of the rest of the songs feel amateurish in a way that lacks the charm of The Shapes’ previous work. “Relaxing,” “Dreaming,” and a slew of other songs feature rhythms and melodies that remain static throughout the entire song, causing them to feel more like sketches instead of fully realized ideas.
It’s worth noting the distinct change in vocal production on this release; on most of these tracks, Levi sings in a raspy, mumbling voice, and sounds like she’s singing too far from the microphone. If not for the use of overdub, her voice might not be audible at all. The joyous and youthful singer from "Jewellery" has been replaced by a jaded and sick-sounding warbler. The change in voice complements the themes of the album, but will be off-putting to the majority of listeners.
The highlights here are scattered throughout. “Oh Baby” is a vaguely trip-hop sounding track with oddball vocals and sludgy beats that are reminiscent of one of the slower cuts from Cibo Matto’s debut. “Thinking It” is a spoken word piece that manages to deliver commentary about our obsession with health while remaining fairly danceable. The track “Waiting” takes minimalism to a new extreme, featuring nothing but a clunky ascending melody and Levi’s vocals. These songs stand out for their uniqueness, and their brevity makes them feel vital.
"Good Sad Happy Bad" doesn't reach the overdriven sound that made "Never" so engaging, neither does it create the straightforward pop songs that The Shapes are capable of. The album doesn’t make as much impact lyrically either, which is unfortunate considering the potential shown on tracks like “Thinking It.” The release is a natural progression for the band, although it would’ve been nice to see them returning to the more melodically inclined tunes of their early work. The experimentation never really pays off, and the minimalist style restrains the individual songs from achieving their maximum potential. The album feels tossed off and aloof, and it’d be nice to see the band putting a bit more substance into their next release.
Essential Tracks: “Sea Air,” “Thinking It,” “Unity”
