Happy Rhodes returns after a long absence with Find Me, her latest collection of songs, and it is well worth the wait. Exploring a sound
both familiar and new, Happy covers a lot of emotional ground on Find
Me. The subject matter ranges from the defiant anthem "She Won't Go",
the last thoughts of a dying crash victim in the title track, the
lament of the eternal bridesmaid on "Chosen One" and the sweet tribute
to a loved one in "Here and Hereafter."
Happy delivers one of the best songs of her career with the elegant and mesmerizing "Can't Let Go," exploring how the emotional scars of the past can be both a source of inspiration and a curse. The incredible range of her instrument is complimented by a carefully crafted bed of electronics and traditional instruments into a sound that is both unique and incredibly listenable. Nowhere does this seem more apparent than the track "Queen" where she seems to ponder her role as siren to the marginalized, the searching and the broken. Thankfully she seems to be willing to take the mantle, as unwilling as it might be. We'll all continue to be the better for it. (jonwesleyhuff@gmail.com)
it struck me today as i drove down the road with a million thoughts banging around in my head that every time "Find Me" rolls around on the disk player, all those million thoughts get interrupted and i find myself just losing myself in the song. it's a weird, wistful, hopeless sort of peace, those few minutes. (brni @ kappamaki . com)
It's easy to bypass this album without even listening to it. Being self-produced, the album art is naturally not as detailed as those of her label releases, but I think we've all heard the cliche about judging books (or albums) by their covers (CD covers too. And the album's listed under my music player as New Age. Don't let that turn you off either (if you're the sort who gets turned off by that)—this is a rich, diverse, multilayered, did I mention RICH album which doesn't play nice with genres.
But if you had to pick one, I'd call this Happy's rock album: check out "She Won't Go" and especially "Charlie" (and all its (awesome) vocoder craziness.)
The songs that aren't overtly rock are still spectacular, from the Kate-like opener "One and Many" (with backing vocals which sound tantalizingly like the Trio Bulgarka) to the reflective "Treehouse," (Happy's answer to the "boys-only" treehouse clubs) and the absolutely heartbreaking, beautiful, near-perfect "The Chosen One."
Forget the epitome of ecto. This *is* ecto. Absolutely essential.(lotterose @ gmail . com)
One of the best of 2007. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)
I'm glad she did quite a bit in her lower register on Find Me I *love* "One and Many" and "Charlie", although they are actually kinda creepy songs. :-P Well, it's Happy, what can I say? :-D (fleur)
Personally I have trouble deciding which of Warpaint, Equipoise, Many Worlds Are Born Tonight
and Find Me I like the most. They are all amazing in their own way.
Warpaint for the songs and the amazing soul, Equipoise and Many Worlds Are Born Tonight for the amazing vocals and feel. Find Me has the potential to become my
favorite, because it shows off Happy's beyond human voice, songwriting
and production talent. My friends and I can't really understand why so
many find so much against the album. (onealien@mo.himolde.no)
I think it's a great first Happy album. (timjy@sbcglobal.net)
Happy Rhodes' recordings:
The main Happy Rhodes page