We recently had the spectacular opportunity to check out the new album, “EMBERS”, from Boston grit-pop trio , Happy Little Clouds. You can listen to the extraordinary “EMBERS” on Spotify Here, Apple Music Here

“EMBERS”, is a fierce, authentic and vibrant collection of songs. Happy Little Clouds, may have just delivered the album of the year… You just don’t know it yet .

Embers hits the streams today ( Friday, July 18) , the path that led to this moment tells a greater, more poignant story of reflection, assessment and awakening. When the band takes the stage at The Burren in Somerville the following night, on Saturday, July 19, alongside theatrical glam superstars Eddie Japan, there will be a sense of cathartic release, one building inside founder Jac Mestel since the release of the band’s debut album, Shift, nearly a decade ago. 

 lot has changed since then: for Mestel (they/them), the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and lyricist who has since come out as trans; for the band, now completed by bassist Derek Bergstrom (he/him) and drummer and percussionist Jess Townsend (she/her); and for the world in which Happy Little Clouds reside with a sense of defiance and pride.

The nine tracks on “Embers”, are absolutely glowing. The stories contained within, packed tightly in the band’s eclectic, melodic, and soulful post-grunge sound, offer an invitation to seek refuge, seek allyship, and attempt, both collectively and individually, to make sense of an insane world. The record’s title derives from a lyric in new single “Liar Fire” — “All my body curls like embers / Up or down I’m forced to choose” – a white-hot blast of ‘70s arena-rock ambition that sets a striking tone for an album packed with definable moments.  

“We really liked the symbolism of embers because it represents an intense, ephemeral light – like life,” the band states. “While an ember burns you can’t tell which way it’s going to drift. In the song, it represents a panicked moment where you are at a crossroads in life. You either choose to give into your fear or move toward love.”

We knew as Happy Little Clouds, began releasing the singles which lead up to “Embers”, that we going to get something special…. And we were right . From the electrifying energy of “Higher” to the otherworldly drumming from Jess Townsend, on “Clear and Present Danger, we were on the edge of our seats (literally) and those songs only scratch the musical goodness from Happy Little Clouds on “Embers”

We found ourselves marveling at the flawless and moving vocal performances on “Liar Fire” and “Offswitch” However, the closing track, “The Water At Your Feet” , completely took our breath away. It was without question our favorite track on the album. The beautifully woven melodies and vocals are positively divine.

Seven of the songs featured on “Embers” were recorded and mixed at Deadmoon Audio in Somerville, Massachusetts, just after Bergstrom joined the band, bringing a bassline buoyancy inspired by the likes of Gang of Four, The Replacements, and Future Islands. The two most recent Sound Cove singles, “Higher” and “Clear and Present Danger,” were recorded and mixed by Ethan Dussault at New Alliance Audio in Somerville, where the creative trio truly flexed as a cohesive unit. All the songs were mastered by Pete Weiss at Jade Cow Music in Middletown, Rhode Island. 

“Embers”, from Happy Little Clouds, is an album that is impossible to resist.