Song Review - Hope D - Happy Hangover
REVIEW BY: SARAH BONNET
Image Credit: Casey Garnsey
“...songs that could be described as exaggeratedly honest.”
- NME
“...gave us an immediate 'this is something special' reaction that we haven't felt in a little while now.”
-PILERATS
“Another attention grabber right from the start. The flow is great, and the lyrics fly out effortlessly..”
- RICHARD KINGSMILL, TRIPLE J
“Brisbane’s Hope D has spent the last two years quietly becoming one of the most exciting musicians in Australia.”
- MUSIC JUNKEE
“Have one listen to Hope D and her success makes sense.”
- PURPLE SNEAKERS
After long months of lockdown, Hope D’s new song “Happy Hangover” made me both nostalgic and excited to party again soon. This ode to memorable nights out will be the perfect anthem for this summer, when venues open up again.
“Happy Hangover” starts with a lo-fi drum beat and what sounds like an authentic phone conversation about “tripping out”. Hope D explained that the song was about “fully tripping out and having experiences that will later become nostalgic” and right from the intro, we feel immersed in these experiences she’s singing about.
The verses are vivid descriptions of those crazy, “to-good-to-be-true” events as well as what led to them. Hope D’s genuine delivery of the story makes us feel like we’re feeling and living the moments with her, in the same room, at the same party.
From the beginning of the song, my attention was also drawn to the drums. They sound a bit more elaborate and punchy than your usual indie rock drums and bring just the right amount of extra energy to the song. It makes sense knowing that G Flip (who is a reputable drummer among many things) co-wrote the song.
After the chorus and its catchy vocals (probably Hope D’s most infectious chorus to date), the second verse gets our attention back, thanks to its rich instrumentation. It combines many layers of acoustic and electric guitars as well as some thoughtful “ear candy” elements: for example, when the vocals say she’s on another planet and we hear a weird alien-sounding synth in the background. This verse also showcases Hope D’s unique style of half-spoken/half-sung vocals that sound like they come straight from the heart (what caught my attention the first time I heard her song “Second” and discovered her music).
The bridge sounds like the aftermath of a big night out, repeating “Happy Hangover” in a calm and nostalgic way. However, the intensity quickly re-escalates and we’re led straight into an explosive final chorus, which, with its extra layers of fuzz guitar and eclectic background vocals, does sound like a big party.
The calm outro offers a final conclusion to it all: waking up the next day in a quiet room, feeling hungover but peaceful and content, as Hope D, sounding almost drowsy, sings the memorable line “Happy hangover, when I rolled over you said that you’d be mine.”
