Music review: The Happy Pill Academy’s “Postcards to and from a Doomed Civilisation” album.
London-based alternative grunge group, The Happy Pill Academy, are ironic, to say the least. This low-fi high concept album, “Postcards to and from a Doomed Civilisation,” is gorgeous in its stripped back and yet somehow deeply touching sonically dissonant musical universe.
It’s a journey through a robotic life. Searching for meaning to its existence, our mechanical hero takes a holiday, gets lost and tries to find his way back – to home and to himself.
The Happy Pill Academy’s “Postcards to and from a Doomed Civilisation” is a poetic, clangy, emotive experimental play on the theme of hopelessness in our present collective and possibly hopeless position. Taught with hyper meaning, lovely echoing production, littered with cleverness, lilting instrumentation and impossibly perfect spaces.
The album is unexpectedly good. Sweetly short tracks all perfectly placed together to follow the dreams of a robot created perhaps just to tell this tale. I loved it. If you appreciate the dreams of others, I think you might, too.
Stream The Happy Pill Academy’s “Postcards to and from a Doomed Civilisation” on Spotify.
Stream on Bandcamp.
Team:
Label: Independent
Musician Names/Instruments: Matthew Guy Ibbs (Vocals, Guitar, Ukelele, Bass, Percussion), Jef Leeson (Keyboards)
Producer Name(s): Matthew Guy Ibbs, James Humphry, Lance Turner
Credits:
Jef Leeson – Keyboards & Most Excellent Dude – @jefleeson
James Humphry – Mixing, Ideas Guy & General Support
Lance Turner – Mastering & Reassuring Text Messages @itslanceturner
Jordan McInally – Cover Photo & Purveyor of Finest Beards – @undersoul_photography
Benjymous – Song Title Permission @Benjymous
KCFONTS – Album Title Font – kcfonts.com
junkohanhero – THPA Logo Font – http://www.junkohanhero.com
Barry Parkinson (Beepea) – Original Logo Design & Punk Rock / Math Rock Legend
Amy Curtis & Professor Wiggles – Best Wife, Best/Worst Dog, & Emotional Support Structure
Websites:
Discord: https://discord.gg/GGwaEQee8w & Telegram: t.me/pillacademy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pillacademy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PillAcademy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pillacademy/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXF8XN6r4pPOUxzTDLe4qA
Artist Contact Email: happypillacademy@gmail.com
Author: Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros is a British writer and filmmaker living In Los Angeles.
