(ALBERT PRODUCTIONS)
�Anything for a Easy Life� goes the age-old saying if in pursuit of a stress-free existence. Happy Life, darkly darting in at a tangent to the UK rock scene in 2003, are putting everything into their quest for a worthwhile shelf life, and the nation is slowly but surely tagging their talents. I mean, one week they�re supporting underground Alt.-rock heroes Reuben, and then the next� Happy Life are playing some awesomely high profile dates with veteran pop-rock icons Blondie no less, which will hopefully do this West London-based quartet no end of wonders.
Here presenting their �Breathe For Me� single, which is a highlight of their intoxicating live sets, frontman Kevin Brown�s nasally-sucked vocal tones ooze Placebo-suited moodiness. This is a tenderly bold, feel-good anthem that does verge on Glam-rock in style. B-side �Stand Up� progresses to prove itself even more sublime than the title track, Kev�s soulful vox in perfect touch with the band�s heavy musical backing, guided by the hands of Ian Pellman on guitar, teetotalling Chris Drinkwater on bass and Rupert Mann on drums. Passion abounds, and they should be proud of their sounds.
The band members themselves admit they are fans of all type of rock music from U2 to Hendrix. Likewise, they�ve previously confessed to loving 80�s synth-pop tunes which is an interesting aside, for their instrumental version of �Breathe For Me� is industrially-poppy in nature and does sound to be a throwback tune from the decade of big hair; if you like semi-Glam-semi-Rock bands such as My Vitriol or even Scarlet Soho, you�re sure to cream your Cornflakes over this fantastically upbeat slab of guitar and drum-led coolness.
But don�t focus too much on searching out this single alone, because if you nip into the album section of your local record retailer you should hopefully see Happy Life�s self-titled debut album for kicks too. And, especially for old time�s sake, it�ll be filed under �H.� For both an easier and a happier life. So make sure you make the most of both�
(Steve Rudd)
www.happy-life.co.uk