- Bryon Harris
Happy Curmudgeons - 3rd Coast
Review by Aaron Cloutier & Staff
Crisp acoustic guitars, warm bass lines and a Jerry Garcia inspired vocal delivery greet my ears as I make my way through “3rd Coast” by “The Happy Curmudgeons”. It’s a happy vibe as the lyrical content weave a tale of a long journey reaching its end and making one’s way back home. This is accentuated in particular with strong vocal harmonies singing “3rd coast is calling! Calling me back home”. This mood remains constant until a minor guitar solo section briefly shifts gears before bringing me back to what’s familiar.
Other than what sounds like a shaker to my ear, the song is completely void of percussion which creates a very relaxed feeling throughout. I immediately get images of looking out my car window in the summer, and going down a long highway. Everything is very bright, very sunny, very immersive and thoughtful. The music itself also allows for the message to take center stage without extra clutter. The sense of pocket is apparent here regardless of a lack of percussion. It’s a very stripped down, but effective track, that accomplishes exactly what it's suppose to do. It transports you to a different state of mind.
I very much enjoyed how the arrangements are put together on this one. The bass and guitars are blended with mandolin to create very satisfying textures. The production is very clean and every instrument is very well represented without fighting for attention. In short, “3rd Coast” is a soothing slice of Americana and you’ll be glad you pushed play like I did.
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About The Happy Curmudgeons
The Happy Curmudgeons are a group of studio musicians from the metro Detroit. They released their first album, Meant 2 Be, Dec. 2017 and currently are working on their next release. The group was assembled by Dave Hamilton and they incorporate many genres in their songs. The Happy Curmudgeons are working with their producer, Mark Byerly, who has worked with Bob Seger, Carlos Santana and Justin Timberlake.