‘Happy Again’ finds Bill and the Belles evolving their rootsy string-band sound by adding in touches of Vaudeville and touches of the Doo-Wop sound of the likes of The Ronettes and The Shangri-Las. The result is a delightful mix of harmony-drenched old time rock'n'roll fused with earthy Americana, and it works a treat.
The vocals of Kris Truelsen, Kalia Yeagle, and Aidan Vansuetendael combine in beautiful harmony on the 1950s inspired ‘Happy Again (I’ll Never Be)’ and the wry ‘Make It Look Easy’. Going back to their string-band roots on ‘Taking Back My Yesterday’ and the humorous ‘Sobbin’ The Blues’, the band effortlessly mixes bluegrass with old time Americana.
The sound the band creates together is best described as joyous. The production by Teddy Thompson is perfect for the subject material that mixes life’s tribulations up in off the wall variety hall humour, best exemplified in ‘Bye Bye Bill’ – a tale about a pale ale-drinking whale and the cornfield inspired ‘The Corn Shucking Song’.
There’s inspiration to be found on the album too. ‘Get Up And Give It One more Try’ is uplifting as is the waltz-like ‘Good Friends Are Hard To Find’.
‘Happy Again’ explores the sound of an era that in recent years has seen a resurgence of interest due to the works of artists such as, Sierra Ferrell, Pokey Larfarge, and Dori Freeman. And, like those artists, Bill and the Belles have embraced the influences of a bygone era and cleverly used it to augment their own sound in an totally unique and entertaining way resulting in a truly delightful release.
Using uplifting music to laugh in the face of adversity, ‘Happy Again’ is a delightful inspiring listen.