9 o’clock Nasty (ft. Meg Cratty) – Bird of Happiness (2023)
With two years of 9 o’clock Nasty behind me, you would think I have an idea of what to expect from the Leicester trio. In all honesty, I do, and I don’t. I am unsure what type of music they will send our way, but I am certain each song will be astounding. In their previous single ‘Savage Mechanic‘, there was a swirl of garage rock insanity with punk brashness and tinges of indie-rock. Today, I find myself transported to a world of vintage pop in ‘Bird of Happiness’.
Brash, bold, abrupt and “in your face”, 9 o’clock Nasty tends to pick you up, twirl you about and toss you to the wind with a cheeky grin. ‘Bird of Happiness’ is absolutely contrary to anything I have heard in their repertoire. A nostalgic whiff of the Beatles brings a retro vibe to the single with smooth, tranquil tones. Transforming breaths of mind-juggling, gut-wrenching rawness to pretty joviality, the lads show their softer, smoother side.
Collaborating with The Margaret Hooligans (another of my firm favourites), ‘Bird of Happiness’ is an international fascination. Interestingly, The Margaret Hooligans are another band I would not associate with 60s indie-pop. Meg Cratty’s bold vocals bring a mellifluous charm to the flowing melody oozing passionate, smile-inducing happiness. The thing is, beneath this kaleidoscopic gem of prettiness, a darker theme emerges. Scratch the surface and your bird of happiness drop into a mire of despair.
“A song about the journey from content self-sufficiency to the ache of missing the person that completes you. Experience the joy. Bask in the glow. Then feel the gut-wrenching ache when it could all be taken away.” – 9 o’clock Nasty on ‘Bird of Happiness’
The theme song of forlorn love, ‘Bird of Happiness’ takes you from the purity of the honeymoon phase to the blow of aching loss – all in a soothing single. Completely alternate to the organised chaos of their frenzied melodies, 9 o’clock Nasty and The Margaret Hooligans surprise me once again. In Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Miss Fairfax explains that one should not be deemed perfect for there would be no room for development. She obviously hadn’t met 9 o’clock Nasty who might be perfect but continue to develop beyond the supposed perfection.
For more from 9 o’clock Nasty, check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
