Photo by: Collider.com
The Happy/Sad debut album from Denver’s own Churchill is a delightful entry from a promising young group, whose combination of folk and indie rock turns the conventional pop genre on its head, creating an album of inspiring musicianship and warm accessibility.
Churchill has a pop sound occasionally reminiscent of piano rock groups like Coldplay or Keane, but the mandolin – expertly played by Mike Morter – recurring throughout Happy/Sad recalls the more modern folk sounds of groups like Mumford & Sons and Travis.
The wonderfully tight vocal harmonies between lead singer Tim Bruns – who sounds like a cross between Glen Hansard and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. – and pianist Bethany Kelly will immediately remind any frequent indie listener of groups like Stars and Arcade Fire.
A more specific comparison, though, is that Churchill sounds like a much more American version of The Swell Season, whom you may recall hit a certain level of indie stardom in 2007 with their soundtrack to the movie “Once.”
However, as one can undoubtedly see, Churchill is a very difficult group to pin down, despite how undeniably familiar their music sounds.
They manage to comprise a wide range of diverse influences, while at the same time maintaining a consistently cohesive and unique sound, a feat that simply stands testament to the group’s collaborative structure and musical maturity beyond their years.
The instrumentals on this album are tight without ever being overpowering. This is due in part to the fantastic production by Churchill’s drummer Joe Richmond, who keeps the drums big, the piano warm, the mandolin bright and the vocals powerful.
Songs like “Miles” and “We Used to Be Happy” sound pleasantly firm, while “Stubborn Love” and “In My Hands” are a bit lighter and more playful.
“The President,” a strong contender for the album’s best song, features a mandolin line that sounds a bit like a folk version of Bloc Party’s “Helicopter.” Churchill shows the peak of their musical potential, however, on the song “Loud,” which is Churchill at their most dark, their most brooding, and their most technically proficient.
It would have been a gutsy way to end the album, but even the conventional slow build of closer “Happy Sad” is made unconventional by Churchill’s unique sonic blend.
The album’s title, Happy/Sad, immediately implies that the album’s mission statement, so to speak, is to take the listener on an emotional journey between the two extremes of human emotion, as well as all the grey areas in between.
While we’ve seen many similar musical concepts fall into traps of insincere joy and abrasive bleakness, Churchill covers a wide range of emotion while always sounding both sincere and inviting.
It’s the type of music that one gets the sense could only come from a state like ours, where the seemingly incompatible snow and sunshine go hand-in-hand for much of the year.
On Happy/Sad, a similar unconventional unity can be found, between country and indie rock, mandolin and electronic keyboard, and happiness and sadness. However, by the time you finish this record, you’ll likely only be feeling one emotion: utter satisfaction.
