In under three minutes, As December Falls’ latest self release will have you singing along to the opening track’s infectious chorus – whether you intend to or not. This is a recurring theme throughout ‘Happier’, and it’s in good company among the very best pop punk albums that instantly grab you by the ears and channel their energy and voice through the listener.
At face value, ‘Happier’ is a solid record, if a little generic in places, but it’s not easy to deliver simplicity well, and there’s a good reason we return to music that has a familiar quality. It’s comforting and it’s nostalgic, but that’s not to say there isn’t anything new to offer. Pay closer attention and there’s more at play, with the more obvious ‘vintage’ pop punk influences shining through alongside the more subtle hints of emo rock (which powerhouse vocalist Bethany Hunter more than holds up against).
Formed in Nottingham in 2014, As December Falls were advised to ditch the guitars and focus on synths. There’s a place for pop, but there’s still plenty of room for the raw emotion and energy that only comes from plucking strings and vocal chords. The heavier end of the pop music spectrum is not-so-subtly stomping its way back into the mainstream, with artists like Willow Smith, Machine Gun Kelly and even Olivia Rodrigo tapping into their angst (noughties styling in tow). It’s time that lens pulls a little wider to recognise the smaller bands that have been living this scene for years.
As December Falls are a true self-made success in progress – recording their first album in 2019 in a garage, to working with producer John Mitchell (Architects, Enter Shikari, You Me At Six) on the creation of the more mature and polished ‘Happier’. That killer opening track ‘Afterglow’ sets the bar high, a standard maintained through the fun, loud and mostly upbeat record.
In case you were getting bored by track four, ‘I Don’t Feel Like Feeling Great’ offers a surprise guitar solo from Ande Hunter towards the end – a defining moment on the album to prove that the genre can still push boundaries. Title track ‘Happier.’ is, ironically, the slowest song that shows a more soft and vulnerable side to the four piece. We see a glimpse of the synth they rebelled against in the intro to ‘Tears’, which lifts us back up gently into their signature sound against a backdrop of more personal lyrics.
“Heaven knows I need no saviour / ‘Cause I can only save myself” seems to perfectly encapsulate As December Falls’ bootstrap attitude – knowing what they want to do and not letting anyone tell them otherwise. And they’re right to believe in their vision – ‘Happier’ is a reminder of not only why we fell in love with pop punk many years ago, but why we’ll continue loving it for years to come.
CATIE ALLWRIGHT