Swedish trio Spunsugar impressed us since last Summer’s blast of reverb-infused fuzzy guitar noise of their self-released debut single “I Shouldn’t Care”, now Malmö-based shoegaze / noise-rockers are back with the Music Video for the single, “Happier Happyless” off of the upcoming debut album “Drive-through Chapel” via Adrian Recordings, slated for release June 3, 2020.
The bittersweet song’s slower pace is an homage to the 2001 slasher movie “Valentine”, which embraces the emotional tonalities of longing to belong, the struggle to find inner happiness, and the deceptive power of revenge.
“Memorable hooks, a thumping synth bass line, and a gazey chorus” absorb the lyrical prose into perfect harmony with the minimally dynamic video to present a strong cohesion within the mixed media that is rare to find.
Recalling the strikingly driving pulsing quality of Toni Halliday’s The Curve, “Happier Happyless” unleashes ominous hypnotically throbbing bassline echoes around high tense guitar melodies with slightly abrasive reverb, while intense repetitive lashing drum patterns and subdued coruscating, droning synths build an edgy dancing rhythm for the strikingly demure detached prosaic female vocals sigh and pout in disengaged jejune, shifting into rapid breathless overwhelmed falling in reaction to a blitz(burst) of supporting instrumentation.
Lyrics unravel an esoteric nihilism, stemming from a fear of social rejection and the destructive psychological tendencies brought on by self-sabotage as a deep betrayal, cast questionable shadows of doubt upon the true nature of people and what defines happiness.
Liquid color drop video pings deep jewel tone dimension over an enigmatic androgyne alternating cold auras of alienated angst with warm carefree vibes, syncing the moody atmospherics set forth in the soundtrack to flowing tints of temperamental teens. A swift shoulder shrug time-lapses the singular momentum of model-esque poses into a floating weightless dance overlain in depth-defying psychedelic orbs of emotional texture, evolving into an uninhibited celebration of close-knit friendship.
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Photo by Maja Strömberg
