Album Review: Shades by Good Sad Happy Bad

Some artists make being in a band sound like absolutely the worst thing in the world, but not Good Sad Happy Bad (the new name for a rejiggered Micachu and the Shapes), who make you want to dive, headfirst and blinking, into their grottily inviting world of avant-retro pop. Shades may be the fifth album for Mica Levi and co., but it has the enticing naivety of a debut--a result, perhaps, of structural changes within the band, as keyboardist Raisa Khan moves to lead vocals and CJ Calderwood comes in on saxophone, recorder, and electronics. The key to this youthful buoyancy is a certain embrace of imperfection.

Full Review >>

Good Sad Happy Bad is a long-in-the-works rebirth for Micachu & The Shapes, the Mica Levi-led band that brought the UK auteur to fame before they turned her focus to production, film scoring and experimental music. The new group actually announced the change in 2016 (named after their 2015 album) with a promised reshuffle: keyboardist Raisa Khan would move to lead vocals, and musician and producer CJ Calderwood joined to add colour and texture with saxophone, recorder and other instruments. Their first album under the new name, Shades, arrives four years later, and the group sounds refreshed and focused.

Full Review >>