Happy Accidents – Everything But the Here and Now

Happy Accidents' sophomore effort expand their sound with the help of Hookworms' Matthew "MJ" Johnson and drummer Phoebe Cross' increased vocal duties

Album Review by Adam Turner-Heffer | 13 Feb 2018
Album title: Everything But the Here and Now
Artist: Happy Accidents
Label: Alcopop! Records
Release date: 16 Feb

It might not always be the most visible entity, but the DIY scenes in the UK are flourishing right now, especially in London and Glasgow. Just last month saw excellent releases from the likes of Shopping and The Spook School who have both emerged from these and in the last year or two we've also seen acts like Martha and Doe achieve successes previously thought impossible. South-east London's Happy Accidents very much exist in the same sphere, proving yet again that there is a healthy scene out there waiting to be discovered and if their records are anything to go by, this will only become more of a reality. 

Happy Accidents already turned heads in 2016 with their debut You Might Be Right; however, their follow-up Everything But the Here and Now expands their sound, thanks to Matthew "MJ" Johnson of Hookworms' production but also due to drummer Phoebe Cross' increased involvement in sharing vocal duties with guitarist Rich Mandell. These are songs that perfectly capture both youthful abandon and awkwardness, with songs like Nunhead giving a real sense of place to contextualise their songs.

Over the course of these 11 tracks, the band create a mini-universe to get lost in, with anthemic belters such as Wait it Out and A Better Plan to keep things tapping along nicely. Meanwhile, latest single Text Me When You're Home is an emotional wrecking-ball, cutting right to the heart of fear and anxiety. 

Listen to: Wait it Out, A Better Plan, Text Me When You're Home

http://happyaccidents.band