Single Review: Happy Smile (Naive In Joy)

This is truly one of the more obscure singles I’ve reviewed. Happy Smile (Naive In Joy) is inspired by The Peasant Dance, an oil-on-panel piece of art created by the Netherlandish Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, painted in c. 1569, and the track is written as a piece of music you could expect to hear if the Hallelujah Picassos were present in the artwork themselves, performing amongst the peasants.

Happy Smile (Naive In Joy) is a piece that uses a lot of repetition and simple compositions, that has that theatrical, fairytale feel to it; much like the christmas songs that we hear on the radio every year from November. The vocals have a David Bowie-eque vibe with a large amount of echoing and reverb characteristics, which gives it a far less refined, and reduced clarity, which helps with the dated feel to the track. The simple repeating riffs have an uncomplicated beat that would encourage dancing in the styles that were prevalent in c. 1569, or more commonly in the modern day, the track would make a young child dance around and clap with glee.

A peculiar track to release simply to listen to, but as an accompaniment to the artwork it adds an extra layer that engages the viewer/listener. A unique source of influence to be sure.

_{Review written by Alex Moulton}