SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE HAPPY PILL ACADEMY – POSTCARDS TO AND FROM A DOOMED CIVILISATION

THE HAPPY PILL ACADEMY
POSTCARDS TO AND FROM A DOOMED CIVILISATION
INDEPENDENT

Being all over the place musically does not usually spell good things for an artist and their music. On the other hand, if you are so well-versed in a number of musical genres, or they come to you naturally, you can end up with some quite interesting results.

The Happy Pill Academy is basically one Matthew Guy Ibbs from London, with occasional help of musical friends and bystanders. On his latest album, The Postcards To And From A Doomed Civilisation that role belongs to one Jef Leeson on keyboards. Everything else is Ibbs.

That everything includes folk singer songwriter style (“A Transient Dot in my Otherwise Perfect Sky”) to Pearl Jam-style soft grunge (“Large Scale Sneak Attack”) and something we can call a pop Captain Beefheart (“Violent Runtime”).

Along with a penchant for interesting song titles, Ibbs can actually handle all that he tackles with some equally interesting musical results. His songwriting, vocals, and instrumental capabilities all easily up to the task. Add to that equally intriguing concept of as Ibbs himself puts it, “a life-affirming yet soul-destroying album about a robot who goes on holiday,” which, no matter how quirky it sounds, actually works here.

All this makes The Postcards To And From A Doomed Civilisation a very listenable experience. Ibbs and his Happy Pill Academy is an artist to watch out for.

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