Have a Nice Life’s debut album Deathconsciousness was released in 2008 and is a very intense listen. Stylistically, it borrows from a number of touchstones without losing its general feel, and its inaccessibility adds to its mystique. With vocals buried deep in the mix, attention drawing guitars and atmospherics churn about during each song creating a fascinating mood, but not completely dulling pop sensibilities that are there (see “Bloodhail”). Some tracks lean towards this noisy pop sort of territory, while others are completely offbeat, like “Hunter” which sounds like some cult chanting in a town square at noon on an overcast day. So maybe that didn’t help you in any way imagine what the song sounds like, but the sounds conjure very distinct, yet varied, images as the album progresses. There’s something captivating about the drums on “Waiting for Black Metal…”, perhaps the fact that they seem, in theory, so out of place but work so well. Sometimes it’s haunting, other times chaotic, sometimes even intimate. The album has a lot of character and is very diverse, all the while maintaining a sort of melancholy which may be the only thing that justifies naming your album Deathconsciousness. It is difficult to classify, other than with the word “dark” and often it is unclear exactly what is going on, but that adds to the fun, I think. The negative: it’s so long. At 85 minutes, the album continues well past its welcome, and while there are some artists I can listen to for an hour and a half straight, this duo is not one of them. It’s an incredible album, best taken in halves. LISTEN
1. A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut (7:53)
2. Bloodhail (5:40)
3. The Big Gloom (8:06)
4. Hunter (9:45)
5. Telephony (4:38)
6. Who Would Leave Their Son Out in the Sun (5:19)
7. There is No Food (4:00)
9. Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000 (6:29)
10. Deep, Deep (3:50)
11. The Future (5:26)
12. I Don't Love (6:13)
13. Earthmover (11:28)
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