| Sea of Worry | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 8, 2019 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 46:19 | |||
| Label | The Flenser | |||
| Have a Nice Life chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Sea of Worry | ||||
| ||||
Sea of Worry is the third studio album by American band Have a Nice Life, released on November 8, 2019, on the Flenser. [1] It is their first album to feature a full band. [2]
Background and recording
The album was announced by the band in August 2019. Shortly after the announcement, on the 27th, the band released the title track as a single. [3] Three other singles were released in advance of the album: "Lords of Tresserhorn", on September 17; [4] "Science Beat", on October 15; [5] and "Dracula Bells", on November 7. [6]
Two of the tracks, "Trespassers W" and "Destinos", were re-recorded versions of songs that appeared on their 2009 compilation album Voids. [7] Dan Barrett had been working on producing "Destinos" by 2006 at the latest, according to a blog post. [8]
Musical style
The album has been described as more straightforward and accessible than the band's previous two LPs. [9] [10] [11] [12] Similarly, it is significantly more polished and has higher production quality, a departure from the band's typical lo-fi sound. [7] Both Barrett and Macuga said that the album was heavily influenced by the British post-punk band the Chameleons. [13]
The album takes influence from several genres, varying from track to track. Songs like "Sea of Worry", "Science Beat", and "Dracula Bells" have been compared to post-punk, new wave, and gothic rock. [2] [7] [9] [14] "Lords of Tresserhorn", according to Marika Zorzi of New Noise Magazine, "seamlessly blends their sweeping shoegaze/ post-punk/ experimental sound" in a way reminiscent of their earlier releases, [15] while Bill Peel of Kill Your Stereo noted a post-rock influence. [9] The album also features an instrumental track: "Everything We Forget". [16] "Trespassers W" reminded Macuga of the band Hey Mercedes, which was one of the first groups that he bonded with Barrett over. [13]
Album themes
Much like the band's previous releases, many songs feature lyrics about depression. [9] Dan Barrett said that the central theme of the album is: "Jesus Christ, it’s just hard to be alive right now." [17]
Moreover, several songs discuss religion, particularly Christianity. "Dracula Bells" and "Trespassers W" both feature lyrics critical of the religion, [16] while "Destinos" begins with a recording of a preacher lecturing about God sending sinners to hell. [9]
The name of the track "Lords of Tresserhorn" is a reference to Magic: the Gathering. [9] The song was inspired by Barrett's children. [17]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Kill Your Stereo | 70/100 [9] |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10 [7] |
| Sputnikmusic | 2.8/5 [14] |
| Wolfgang Magazin | 5.4/10 [18] |
The album was praised by Aristocrazia Webzine, who wrote that "being sad has never been so beautiful." [19] Other outlets that gave the album positive feedback include Pitchfork, [7] Spectrum Culture, [12] and Stereogum. [1]
The release was panned by Sputnikmusic, calling it "predictable". [14]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sea of Worry" | 4:40 |
| 2. | "Dracula Bells" | 7:44 |
| 3. | "Science Beat" | 5:35 |
| 4. | "Trespassers W" | 4:49 |
| 5. | "Everything We Forget" | 4:12 |
| 6. | "Lords of Tresserhorn" | 6:07 |
| 7. | "Destinos" | 13:12 |
| Total length: | 46:19 | |
Personnel
Have a Nice Life
- Dan Barrett
- Tim Macuga
Band
- Joe Streeter – guitar
- Myke Cameron – bass
- Rich Otero – drums, synthesizer
References
- ^ a b Breihan, Tom (2019-11-08). "Have A Nice Life Release New Album 'Sea Of Worry': Stream". Stereogum. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ a b Roesler, Brian (2019-11-20). "Have a Nice Life : Sea of Worry". Treble Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (2019-08-27). "Have A Nice Life share title track off 'Sea of Worry'". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ BrooklynVegan Staff (2019-09-17). "19 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ BrooklynVegan Staff (2019-10-15). "18 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ BrooklynVegan Staff (2019-11-07). "16 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ a b c d e Gordon, Arielle (2019-11-12). "Have a Nice Life: Sea of Worry". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ Richards, Adam (2016-11-26). "Have A Nice Life – Sea of Worry Review". The New Englander. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g Peel, Bill (2019-11-13). "Have A Nice Life – Sea Of Worry". Kill Your Stereo. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ Thomas, Olly (2019-11-10). "Album Review: Have A Nice Life – Sea Of Worry". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ Costa, Bruno (2019-11-11). "Have A Nice Life - Sea Of Worry". MUSIC&RIOTS Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b Welsh, Evan (2019-11-21). "Have a Nice Life: Sea of Worry". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b "Sputnikmusic - Interview: Dan and Tim (HANL) « Staff Blog". Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ a b c Winesburgohio (2019-11-07). "Review: Have a Nice Life - Sea of Worry". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ Zorzi, Marika (2019-09-17). "Have A Nice Life Unveil Soul-Stirring New Single, "Lords Of Tresserhorn"". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b Alber, Alison (2019-12-07). "Have A Nice Life - Sea of Worry". MXDWN. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b "Have a Nice Life On Their Anxiety-Driven Third Album, "Sea of Worry"". Bandcamp Daily. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
- ^ Nikolić, Katarina (2019-11-18). "Record Review | Have a Nice Life – Sea of Worry". Wolfgang Magazin. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ Schlemihl (2019-12-26). "Have A Nice Life explore fear and hope in a "Sea Of Worry"". Aristocrazia Webzine. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
| Sea of Worry | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 8, 2019 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 46:19 | |||
| Label | The Flenser | |||
| Have a Nice Life chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Sea of Worry | ||||
| ||||
Sea of Worry is the third studio album by American band Have a Nice Life, released on November 8, 2019, on the Flenser. [1] It is their first album to feature a full band. [2]
Background and recording
The album was announced by the band in August 2019. Shortly after the announcement, on the 27th, the band released the title track as a single. [3] Three other singles were released in advance of the album: "Lords of Tresserhorn", on September 17; [4] "Science Beat", on October 15; [5] and "Dracula Bells", on November 7. [6]
Two of the tracks, "Trespassers W" and "Destinos", were re-recorded versions of songs that appeared on their 2009 compilation album Voids. [7] Dan Barrett had been working on producing "Destinos" by 2006 at the latest, according to a blog post. [8]
Musical style
The album has been described as more straightforward and accessible than the band's previous two LPs. [9] [10] [11] [12] Similarly, it is significantly more polished and has higher production quality, a departure from the band's typical lo-fi sound. [7] Both Barrett and Macuga said that the album was heavily influenced by the British post-punk band the Chameleons. [13]
The album takes influence from several genres, varying from track to track. Songs like "Sea of Worry", "Science Beat", and "Dracula Bells" have been compared to post-punk, new wave, and gothic rock. [2] [7] [9] [14] "Lords of Tresserhorn", according to Marika Zorzi of New Noise Magazine, "seamlessly blends their sweeping shoegaze/ post-punk/ experimental sound" in a way reminiscent of their earlier releases, [15] while Bill Peel of Kill Your Stereo noted a post-rock influence. [9] The album also features an instrumental track: "Everything We Forget". [16] "Trespassers W" reminded Macuga of the band Hey Mercedes, which was one of the first groups that he bonded with Barrett over. [13]
Album themes
Much like the band's previous releases, many songs feature lyrics about depression. [9] Dan Barrett said that the central theme of the album is: "Jesus Christ, it’s just hard to be alive right now." [17]
Moreover, several songs discuss religion, particularly Christianity. "Dracula Bells" and "Trespassers W" both feature lyrics critical of the religion, [16] while "Destinos" begins with a recording of a preacher lecturing about God sending sinners to hell. [9]
The name of the track "Lords of Tresserhorn" is a reference to Magic: the Gathering. [9] The song was inspired by Barrett's children. [17]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Kill Your Stereo | 70/100 [9] |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10 [7] |
| Sputnikmusic | 2.8/5 [14] |
| Wolfgang Magazin | 5.4/10 [18] |
The album was praised by Aristocrazia Webzine, who wrote that "being sad has never been so beautiful." [19] Other outlets that gave the album positive feedback include Pitchfork, [7] Spectrum Culture, [12] and Stereogum. [1]
The release was panned by Sputnikmusic, calling it "predictable". [14]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sea of Worry" | 4:40 |
| 2. | "Dracula Bells" | 7:44 |
| 3. | "Science Beat" | 5:35 |
| 4. | "Trespassers W" | 4:49 |
| 5. | "Everything We Forget" | 4:12 |
| 6. | "Lords of Tresserhorn" | 6:07 |
| 7. | "Destinos" | 13:12 |
| Total length: | 46:19 | |
Personnel
Have a Nice Life
- Dan Barrett
- Tim Macuga
Band
- Joe Streeter – guitar
- Myke Cameron – bass
- Rich Otero – drums, synthesizer
References
- ^ a b Breihan, Tom (2019-11-08). "Have A Nice Life Release New Album 'Sea Of Worry': Stream". Stereogum. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ a b Roesler, Brian (2019-11-20). "Have a Nice Life : Sea of Worry". Treble Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (2019-08-27). "Have A Nice Life share title track off 'Sea of Worry'". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ BrooklynVegan Staff (2019-09-17). "19 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ BrooklynVegan Staff (2019-10-15). "18 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ BrooklynVegan Staff (2019-11-07). "16 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ a b c d e Gordon, Arielle (2019-11-12). "Have a Nice Life: Sea of Worry". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ Richards, Adam (2016-11-26). "Have A Nice Life – Sea of Worry Review". The New Englander. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g Peel, Bill (2019-11-13). "Have A Nice Life – Sea Of Worry". Kill Your Stereo. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ Thomas, Olly (2019-11-10). "Album Review: Have A Nice Life – Sea Of Worry". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ Costa, Bruno (2019-11-11). "Have A Nice Life - Sea Of Worry". MUSIC&RIOTS Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b Welsh, Evan (2019-11-21). "Have a Nice Life: Sea of Worry". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b "Sputnikmusic - Interview: Dan and Tim (HANL) « Staff Blog". Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ a b c Winesburgohio (2019-11-07). "Review: Have a Nice Life - Sea of Worry". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- ^ Zorzi, Marika (2019-09-17). "Have A Nice Life Unveil Soul-Stirring New Single, "Lords Of Tresserhorn"". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b Alber, Alison (2019-12-07). "Have A Nice Life - Sea of Worry". MXDWN. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b "Have a Nice Life On Their Anxiety-Driven Third Album, "Sea of Worry"". Bandcamp Daily. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
- ^ Nikolić, Katarina (2019-11-18). "Record Review | Have a Nice Life – Sea of Worry". Wolfgang Magazin. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ Schlemihl (2019-12-26). "Have A Nice Life explore fear and hope in a "Sea Of Worry"". Aristocrazia Webzine. Retrieved 2021-02-26.