Happy Ending
The Phoenix Foundation
Young American Recordings
4/5
It’d be a cop-out to waffle about the Phoenix Foundation ‘maturing’ with their third album – the reality is that they’ve always delivered consistently, even in the experimental forays of their previous album Pegasus. But their new offering, Happy Ending does have a sense of closure to it. It’s not exactly sedate – the coy, bopping melodies are still there – but the playfulness of their previous work is manifested in their lyrics and themes more than the instrumentation: horns and string sections are downplayed in favour of an ambient prog-rock flavour, and a wry wit permeates the whole album. Admittedly, it takes a unique sense of humour to appreciate a cheery singalong called No One Will Believe Me When I’m Dead, but lyricist Luke Buda has a knack for creating cognitive dissonance and making it catchy. The album title has inevitably sparked rumours of the Foundation’s demise, fuelled by a spate of solo projects from individual members. It seems unlikely, given the strength of the album…but what a note to go out on.