Artist: Doughboys
Album: Happy Accidents
Release: 1990
Label: Restless Records
Tracklist:
1. Countdown
2. Sorry Wrong Number
3. Deep End
4. Intravenus De Milo
5. Happy Home
6. Sunflower Honey
7. Far Away
8. Happy Sad Day
9. Wait And See
10. Every Bit Of Nothing
11. Dream Day
12. The Apprenticeship of Lenny Kravitz
13. Tupperware Party
Happy Accidents is one hell of a divisive record. The Montreal pop-punk-eventually-turned-alternative-rock band's third record is the halfway point of their career: at once a desperate escape from their roots in hardcore and a series of experiments in finding a new sound. As is mostly consistent until maybe their final record, there's still some punkish energy charging the songs, but instead of debut Whatever's speedy riffing or Home Again's written-on-the-road ruggedness, Happy Accidents saw the Doughs' sound become consumed in outright power-pop.
There's a total sunnyness to most of the songs that have made this record one of my most-listened to albums this summer. "Countdown" opens the record with a perfect pogoing verse. Jon Cummins' "Intravenus De Milo" is an explicit breakup song ("If I could hide behind your withered smile/just for awhile/you could even swallow me whole/then wash me down, so I could watch you choke"). His opening lead on road song "Far Away" conjures images of a sweaty band van shooting down a highway. "Happy Sad Day" is obscenely catchy. Frontman John Kastner's "Happy Home" will instantly resonate with anyone who's tired of housemates: "I feel amazing when I come from a date, and see my household all painted different shapes/It makes my feel like my home is never home/It makes me feel like maybe I should live alone."
A few strange qualities still abound, however. Three of four members of famed metallers Voivod made small contribution to the record, having been buddies and fellow Montreal residents, and "The Apprenticeship of Lenny Kravitz" recalls more of the despair of early Alice In Chains than the guitar douche who penned "Fly Away."
What we've got here, ultimately, is a total grab bag. Yeah, it's not as good as their other records, but it's guilt-free fun. Take a chance and harness Happy Accidents' spirit to soak up the last bit of summer!
Download Here
Bonus: Video footage of a chunk of their live set touring for this record in Orlando, FL. What I would give to have been there...
-Asa
4 comments:
Another reason I wish my teenage years were in the '90s. Thanx for the post! PS: I always seem to enjoy the records you review. —&e
^^^ I want that poster to be a really cute, shy girl who's maybe of Jewish lineage like myself and into cephalopods.
Maybe?
MAYBE?
Always nice to meet another Doughboys fan - I am listening to the record as I type this and it brings me back to fond memories of my teendom. Thanks for the info.
let me say first that i'm a big doughboys fan. from my foggy memory bank - i saw them tour for "crush" in downtown albany NY - it was midweek in winter of 93 or 94. i was 1 of maybe 15 people there. i was 1 of 5 people who knew the band. i was 1 of 2 who actually loved the band. the band looked to be totally bummed out and kind of pissed about the turnout. they played a short set. it was bitter cold outside and the club was so empty that it was about 60 degrees in the bandshell area of the club (bogies). they tried to warm up the crowd & club by opening up with a cover of "New Day Rising" by husker du. it was so sad that almost all of the 15 people in the club didn't even give a sh@t. they sounded great to me but seemed to be just going thru the motions - given the apathetic audience who could blame them...
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