Dumb Acre - MP3
Recorded 1996 or Earlier
Released April 29, 2013 on Young Froth/Taypiss
Kevin Barnes - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Synth, Drums
Happiness + Love - MP3
Recorded 1996 or Earlier
Released Mar 21, 2006 on Pre-Cherry Peel Demo (Unofficial)
Kevin Barnes - Vocals, Guitar, Drums
Happiness and Love - Lost Version - MP3
Recorded Autumn 1996
Released Jul 23, 2014 on YouTube (Official)
Kevin Barnes - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Synth, Drums
Written by Kevin Barnes
I'm not made out of stone
And neither are you
Or that girl or that guy either, ooh
What is this block that keeps me apart from him or her?
I know that it's something in me
Happiness and love
Happiness and love
Happiness and love
If I loved you
I couldn't keep a secret
I'd want the world to hear it
If I loved you (oooh ooooh oooooh)
These days I feel like I'm all by myself
So sad and alone
Just replaying old memories
And the face I see I'm separated from by an awkward conversation
But maybe after the initial shock
Comes happiness and love
Happiness and love
Happiness and love
I want those too
You've got enough to spare it
You only have to share it
I want those too (oooh oooh ooh ooooh)
About everything I say or feels goes unheard
At times I feel like a prisoner forced to live a confused life
Looking for happiness and love
Happiness and love
Happiness and love
What was the point in renaming every song on Young Froth/Taypiss when songs like this one still have official titles? Dumb Acre may be a metaphor to the block Kevin refers to in this song which keeps him apart from other people. Happiness and Love is in contrast an obvious title. It’s the phrase repeated in the chorus and the subject of the song. The only thing misleading about it is that you may expect a hippy anthem or something, when the song really refers to the search for it from others. It’s actually a lot like Drachnids in how it portrays frustration about loneliness. This isn’t about romantic love either as he refers to both men and women in the first verse, making the “you” of the song more vague than it conventionally is. The point is that Kevin wants the benefits of friendship, but is unable to form bonds with people due to not being able to properly express himself. It’s something many people can relate with, especially those in the early stages of adulthood. The music sounds closer to the style we’ll end up hearing on Cherry Peel, along with the guitar tone that has persisted deep into his body of work.
Three versions of this song have ended up online. The first came from a demo tape that leaked online in 2006, dubbed “Pre-Cherry Peel Demo.” It was the tape Kevin distributed in order to look for a record deal. In this version, the drums are mixed loudly and guitar is low pitch-wise. Kevin’s vocals are clear, but overall it sounds hollow. The next version released was on Young Froth/Taypiss in 2013. The guitars sound fuller and somewhat bury Kevin’s vocals. The choruses add a subtle pulsing synthesizer. The bass here is in the form of subtle low tones that sound like they’re right on the edge of the four track’s frequency range. In 2014, former of Montreal member Bryan Poole released a “lost version” on his YouTube channel. This version sounds very close to the Young Froth/Taypiss version, but has a higher fidelity. In addition, Kevin’s vocals have some added reverb and the synth is mixed to be louder. Comparing the two, this version is slightly slower, but in the same key, so my guess is that this is a rerecording. Overall, I prefer this one.
Availability
Digital - None
Physical - Rare
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