Happy People (Peace album)

Happy People is the second studio album by British indie rock band Peace, released on 9 February 2015. Happy People was produced by Jim Abbiss and Duncan Mills.

Happy People
Studio album by
Released9 February 2015
GenreIndie rock, post-Britpop, funk rock, alternative rock
Length37:06
LabelColumbia
ProducerJim Abbiss
Peace chronology
In Love
(2013)
Happy People
(2015)
Kindness Is the New Rock and Roll
(2018)
Singles from Happy People
  1. "Money"
    Released: 13 June 2014
  2. "Lost on Me"
    Released: 15 August 2014
  3. "I'm A Girl"
    Released: 8 February 2015
  4. "Gen Strange"
    Released: 22 April 2015

Reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic59/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Drowned in Sound(2/10)[2]
The Guardian     [3]
Music OMH     [4]
NME8/10[5]
The Observer     [6]
The Independent     [7]
DIY     [8]

Happy People received generally positive reviews upon release, gaining a score of 8/10 with NME, and 5/5 stars from The Independent, and positive reviews from Redbrick, who stated that "you'll still find yourself singing along to the hook hours after".[9] However, The Guardian gave the album 2/5 stars, calling it "reheated baggy leftovers skilfully marketed at people who hadn't yet been born in 1990".[3] Most reviewers have picked up on the clear 90s influences on the album, stating similarities between Peace and bands such as Oasis and Blur.

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."O You"3:47
2."Gen Strange"3:15
3."Lost on Me"3:44
4."Perfect Skin"3:06
5."Happy People"3:46
6."Someday"3:22
7."Money"3:10
8."I'm a Girl"2:59
9."Under the Moon"3:34
10."World Pleasure"6:23
Total length:37:06
Deluxe edition
No.TitleLength
11."Love Me"1:57
12."God's Gloves"3:36
13."Imaginary"4:13
14."Blue"4:06
15."Saturday Girl"2:51
16."Flirting USA"3:43
17."Fur"3:04
18."The Music Was to Blame"3:49

Personnel

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Peace

  • Harrison Koisser – vocals, guitar (all tracks) production (9, 15–17)
  • Samuel Koisser – bass guitar (all tracks), background vocals (1–6, 8, 9, 11–15, 17, 18)
  • Douglas Castle – guitar
  • Dominic Boyce – drums (all tracks), background vocals (1–6, 8–15, 17, 18)

Additional musicians

  • Liz Lawrence – background vocals (1, 9)
  • Wired Strings[a] – strings (1, 10)
  • Keri Arrindell – background vocals (3, 7)

Technical

  • Jim Abbiss – production (1–3, 5, 7, 10–14, 18)
  • Dunca Mills – production (4, 6, 8)
  • Mazen Murad – mastering
  • Craig Silvey – mixing (1–3, 5, 7, 10–15, 18)
  • Eduardo De La Paz Canel – mixing (4, 6, 8, 9), engineering assistance (1–3, 5, 7, 10–16, 18)
  • Edd Hartwell – mixing (16, 17), engineering (1–3, 5, 7, 10–18)
  • Nick Taylor – engineering (1, 10)
  • Lee Slater – engineering (4)

Notes

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  1. ^ Wired Strings consists of cellist and performance arranger Rosie Danvers, upright bassist Richard Pryce, cellist Jane Oliver, violists Bruce White and Emma Owens, and violinists Anna Croad, Debbie Widdup, Gillon Cameron, Hayley Pomfrett, Helen Hathorn, Jenny Sacha, Patrick Kiernan, and Sally Jackson.

References

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  1. ^ "Happy People by Peace". Metacritic.
  2. ^ "Peace - Happy People". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  3. ^ a b Mongredien, Phil (8 February 2015). "Peace: Happy People review – vanilla indie designed by committee". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Peace – Happy People". Music OMH. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  5. ^ Nicolson, Barry (27 January 2015). "Peace - 'Happy People'". NME. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Peace: Happy People review – vanilla indie designed by committee". The Observer. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  7. ^ Gill, Andy (6 February 2015). "Peace, Happy People, album review: Indie's new kings show the power of positive thinking". The Independent. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  8. ^ Milton, Jamie (7 February 2015). "Peace - Happy People". DIY. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  9. ^ Matt Moody, "Album Review: Peace – Happy People", Redbrick, 2015