Spearin, Charles / Happiness Project, The
Album: Happiness Project, The   Collection:General
Artist:Spearin, Charles   Added:Jan 2009
Label:Arts & Crafts  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2009-03-29 Pull Date: 2009-05-31
Week Ending: May 17 Apr 26 Apr 19
Airplays: 1 3 1

Recent Airplay
1. Jul 01, 2023: Music Casserole
Mrs. Morris
4. Apr 23, 2009: orangeasm
Vittoria
2. Feb 03, 2010: Do Make Say Think Interview
Ondine, Mrs. Morris
5. Apr 22, 2009: KZSU's Heartbleeps
Mrs. Morris (Reprise), Mrs. Morris
3. May 13, 2009: KZSU's Heartbleeps
Ondine
6. Apr 18, 2009: Music Casserole
Ondine

Album Review
Red West
Reviewed 2009-03-25
Happy jazzy music & talk. The talk is conversational samples from neighbors talking, directly or indirectly, about things that make them happy, and the music follows the speech rhythms and pitches faithfully. Has a bit of an “academic experiment” feel, but it’s a successful experiment, and the innocence and friendliness of the source material gives it plenty of “feelgood”. All tracks winners.
++1. Happy neighborly love w/Jamaican(?) accent, just a wonderful philosophy, contagious happiness like a good Sesame Street skit. More speech than music.
+2. Jazzy, melodic- after the voice intro (with music that is a little dark) there’s an upbeat instrumental second half, incorporating birdsong into the music too.
++3. Starts w/cute kid voice, no instruments, talking about how valentines day is good because she doesn’t have to work, only do art, with lots of “ums” and hesitations. Then big brassy bass saxes based on “it’s, like, um”s from the speech.
+4.starts with a (formerly?) deaf woman speaking briefly about living without sound, then sloooow dirge horns and bass, more talking (about hearing surgery), then open, expansive music at a lazy tempo. Even lighter, with more speech, at end.
+5.Mystic sounds in first half, galloping 2nd half.
++6.Floaty, bowed strings speak, woodwind sighs. Kid complains laughably, briefly
+7. expositional , explaining talking becoming minimal, dreamy music
++8.Same infectiously joyous speech from #1 with slow music around it, easier to integrate into a music show than #1, though #1 has a bit more impact


Track Listing
1. Mrs. Morris   5. Marisa
2. Anna   6. Ondine
3. Vittoria   7. Mr. Gowrie
4. Vanessa   8. Mrs. Morris (Reprise)