Released: May 6
Soft Cell prove themselves masters of synth-pop on ‘*Happiness Not Included’ – their first studio album in 20 years.
Arriving two decades since the pair’s previous LP ‘Cruelty Without Beauty’, the album boasts 12 fabulously Soft Cell numbers, laced with Marc Almond’s lyrical wit and underpinned by standout instrumentation from Dave Ball. It’s a formula familiar to fans of the duo and, four decades on from their standout debut, further evidence of their timeless sound.
Less a concept album and more a statement piece, ‘*Happiness Not Included’ is a dive into the human condition and the state of the world in the 21st Century – an era that, it soon becomes clear, is underpinned by the failings of humanity.
It’s a bold feat to unleash such a direct album, particularly in the wake of the past two years, but the genius of ‘*Happiness Not Included’ is in its theatricality which, over the course of its impressive tracklist, establishes a cinematic, almost dystopian narrative that disconnects from real life. But with subject matter such as war, religion and the refugee crisis, to vanity and egotism, the conjured image soon mirrors that of the world we live in today.
The album opens with the ironic Happy Happy Happy, an overt play on the notion that “ignorance is bliss”, detailing a world in which we’re ‘Sterilised and neutralised / Living in our bubbles’, where technology and artificial forms have taken over our lives. The notion is arresting but, just as it all becomes too much, the beat kicks in on the uptempo chorus as Marc insists he’s ‘Happy happy happy / Never ever crying’.
As an album, ‘*Happiness Not Included’ is largely mid-tempo, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty that complements and often elevates the lyrical content to the point of theatricality.
In fact, if ever there was an album crafted for the stage, it’s this; the combination of Marc’s hard-hitting lyrics and Dave’s atmospheric instrumentals makes for a brooding soundscape calling to be brought to life in a live setting.
Some tracks are more overtly political than others but, despite the recurring subject matter, the duo insist the point extends beyond the realms of left and right and, while politics may be intrinsic to the LP, it’s not a domineering force.
‘Oh dear / I feel like North Korea’ Marc sings in the opening line of Heart Like Chernobyl, while title track *Happiness Not Included grapples with a past drenched in colonialism and slavery and the censorship of history. Meanwhile, album track I’m Not a Friend of God reads as a moody sequel to pre-release cut Bruises On All My Illusions.
Certain songs are more direct and, alongside the heavier cuts on the LP, ‘*Happiness Not Included’ features a handful of stellar pop numbers sure to appease longtime fans and casual listeners alike. Among them, Purple Zone – Soft Cell’s collaboration with Pet Shop Boys – doesn’t disappoint, living up to the groups’ legacies as figureheads of the genre, with Marc’s and Neil Tennant’s distinctive vocals masterfully blended over a super track helmed by Dave and Chris Lowe.
For pure pop fans, there’s also the lively Nostalgia Machine and Nighthawks, a techno tune originally recorded and released by Dave alongside his 2020 autobiography ‘Electronic Boy’ that’s been reworked with Marc for its latest release.
The album closes with New Eden, a cinematic number that encompasses the themes of the album and strives to reach a balance between light and shade, hope and despair. Marc sings, ‘All those plans we made in the ‘60s… Seem naïve now we’ve grown older / Leaving we’re leaving looking for the New Eden.’
It’s a fitting end to an album that, despite its overarching sense of doom, delivers a glimmer of hope. Globally, things are far from ideal, but if we come together for just a moment we can overcome adversity and carve out a better future – if only we have the vision to do so.
‘*Happiness Not Included’ is available now.
