The Raintree Country - 'Happy People' Single Review

The Raintree County have released their new single “Happy People” and it’s left me in something of a quandary - like the lovely Natalie…I am torn.

The track starts really well – jangly guitars in your left ear, drums and bass in your right but then…well, I have to admit I kind of dismissed the song as something lifted straight off an early 90’s compilation album. Oh dear, another band stuck in a time warp.

But then, I listened again…and again…and again and little things started to emerge. The more I listen to it, the more they remind me of Pleasure Heads, a storming band from Glasgow (via Falkirk). There’s a similarly cutting wit to the lyrics, which always wins me over, and the song is stupidly catchy and verging on the cusp of sounding like an anthem. But, unlike Pleasure Heads, it does sound very 90’s to me.

So you see my dilemma? This could be quite the three pipe problem.

I have, however, used science to help me out on this. I think I may have mentioned in other reviews that there is a band based not far from me who are a catalogue of 90’s/Britpop clichés. So, using them as a baseline, I did a back to back listen-a-thon (sorry, lines are now closed…but thanks for thinking of donating) and I have come to the conclusion that “Happy People” finds itself on (for me) the right side of that fine line between ‘inspired by’ and ‘lifted wholesale’. It’s a great song, but needs repeated listens to fully appreciate it. The effort, however, is definitely worth it.