Makes Me Happy

Sébastian Schuller - Tears Coming Home

I like it when I put a CD on when I've got no expectations, or really any idea what it will sound like, and it turns out to be really wonderful.

This is exactly what happened when I loaded up Sébastian Schuller's new full-length, Happiness, hit play in my iTunes and was just totally surprised what came out. Dreamy, multi-layered pop music, not unlike Air wrestling in the grass with Radiohead... which I guess would sound not unlike another Sebastian, and MFR-favorite, Sebastian Tellier, in his more uptempo and cinematic moments. He shares another common thread with Tellier too, in that he's from the suburbs of Paris, but spends his time in both France and Philadelphia.

Okay, so the sound of this dreamy-pop is heavy on keys - pianos, synths and organs - and with no lack of minor chords, it feels pretty melancholy much of the time, but there's always a sweetness to the songs too. They are are usually nice and bottom-heavy as well, with subtle percussion and drum patterns - which makes sense as Schuller is actually a classically trained percussionist - and have sweet little guitar lines to them. Schuller also sings on most of the songs, with a high, lilting falsetto (thus reminding me of the 'head's Yorke) that works like a charm.

Highly recommended late-summertime listening - you can download the album right now from the label releasing the record: Chicagoland's Minty Fresh website, or via iTunes. This will also go over really well when the weather starts to get that first tinge of Autumn-chill in the air, and if you prefer a physical copy of Happiness you can buy it in late-September (it comes out on the 26th). Besides this track, I really like "Sleeping Song", "Wolf", and the closer "Le Dernier Jour" - solid stuff.