Like a well-oiled
machine, it takes several dynamic parts working smoothly together to create
quality music. When you listen to Terribly Happy’s latest release, Slightly Dead, you’ll find a variety of
creative elements working well together. There’s a mix of electronic rock, pop
punk, a range of vocal techniques, and hauntingly relatable lyrics.
The song names on
this album all share in the macabre: “Slightly Dead,” “Mummies and Regretful
Sophomores,” and “Feeling Like a Ghost.” But the songs aren’t scary in a
traditional sense of horror. They are haunting, though, but they are haunting
because of their poignancy—you relate to them, feel them. You, too, are
slightly dead.
Take a closer look at the
album’s artwork, a perfect visual representation of the music you’ll hear.
These songs are about sadness, but not in a stereotypical “my life is so hard”
kind of way. The sadness is bottomless, nearly tangible in each note of the
guitar and pound of the drum. In the middle of a carnival stands a young man.
He’s surrounded by ice cream, games, and rides, and one must ask, so why is he sad?
Because the carnival
is a show. It’s all about flashing lights and thrills that excite the innocent
minds of children, not heart-broken souls. We know the lights and thrills are
cheap, but we long for them anyway. We long for the happiness that we felt when
we were young.
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| Listen to Terribly Happy's Music here! Photography by Brittany Wagley |
Haven’t you ever
felt slightly dead and full of regret? Haven’t you ever felt like you walked
alone, like a ghost? That no one was really there for you and that everyone
only cared about themselves? Those are the unforgettable themes of the album.
In “Slightly Dead,”
Terribly Happy perfectly captures sadness and pain. “I’ll trade my wounds for
your regrets,” they sing. This isn’t a simple relationship song. It’s so much
deeper. This is a song that understands the complexity of pain. It’s the kind
of song you’ll want to listen to in the car with the windows rolled down while
you shout the lyrics, or late at night in a lonely bedroom with nothing but
headphones on your ears and tears in your eyes.
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| Be sure to like Terribly Happy on Facebook! Photography by Brittany Wagley |
I love a song that
ends and begins with the same line to preserve a powerful idea, and that’s what
happens with “Mummies and Regretful Sophomores.” This song is like the fast,
dangerous ride at the carnival. It’s full of an almost calm rage, which is far
more terrifying then reckless rage because there’s a purpose and plan behind
it. This is song you’ll sing while holding up your middle finger at those who
have wronged you. “Here’s to hoping you’ll always be lonely,” they sing. And
that’s the worst of punishments as it’s also loneliness that also haunts them.
“There is nothing in
this bedroom,” the song opens and closes. And repeats and repeats. The terror
here is that nothing can be just as
frightening as any real monster.
That leads perfectly
into the third and final song of the EP, “Feeling Like a Ghost.” The title
alone resonates with anyone who has a pulse. Who hasn’t felt like they didn’t matter
or that they were invisible? “Maybe I’ll stay . . . maybe you’ll stay . . .” There’s a back and
forth in the song, a contrast that their music here epitomizes. The drums and
guitar blend well at first, but then the drums get hard, yet the guitar remains
smooth. It’s like that so often in relationships, a conflict of interests, an opposites
attract, a back and forth, and you’ll feel this in the music. It’s the paradox
of love and pain.
Don’t take my word
for it. Listen to the album today here at terriblyhappy.bandcamp.com and
support authentic, hard-working artists. You can download the album for just
$3.00 or even order a CD that comes in a jewel case.
Be sure you listen
with your headphones on. Lock your door, too. But not because of the monsters
that are outside. Because this music unleashes the monsters hiding in your head
and behind your heart.
About the author:
Joe Chianakas is the author of the horror novel, Rabbit in Red. Follow Joe on Facebook, and check out his website for more about his writing career.
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