“How To Buy Happiness” by Modern Guilt is a Fitz and the Tantrums-esque Alt Rock tune with a delightful mixture of modern and vintage sounds. The singer is wildly unique, peppering in the right amount of off-kilter inflections to make himself recognizable. The band has this unfiltered, garage-rock ambiance, utilizing simple and effective chords, textures, and rhythms. All of this considered, Modern Guilt sports a cool, intriguing, sultry aura. The brilliance of this song lies in its nonchalant nature, backed by veritable natural talent.
We’re greeted with a crunchy, pulsing drone which almost immediately welcomes a bass line and some driving drums. A mysterious guitar riff appears here and there, doused in reverb and echo. The vocalist suddenly chimes in, gracing the track with his distinctive tone and narrative-style lyricism. A voice-like synth joins the mix for a moment, filling out the sound tremendously. Instantaneously, this element drops to leave us with a lone guitar riff and drum groove. It’s an excellent tool, building the sound just to drop the energy for the chorus. The singer cries, “If I had the money, / Oh yeah, I’d be fine,” over this minimalistic, funky accompaniment. Halfway through, a drum fill invites piano, tambourine, and bass back onto the scene. We’re lifted back to something high-energy in a satisfying, smooth fashion.
If you like bluesy, organic indie rock, Modern Guilt has a lot to offer. You’ll come for the compelling, angsty vibe and stay for the musicianship, lyricism, and passionate delivery of their music.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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