Happiness Project

Charles SpearinThe Happiness ProjectAlright, Canada, you’ve gone too far this time. I’m not too clear on all the circumstances that led to the release of Charles Spearin’s debut solo album, The Happiness Project, but I do know that much of the funding that helped build the label, Arts & Crafts, that released the album was supplied by the Canadian government. That this Canada-made album (if I even dare call it that) made it to the printing press, into delivery trucks, onto record store racks and, finally, through my wallet and to my American ears is a miracle. An ugly, awful miracle that could only come from the beautifully arts-friendly Canadian government. Can’t win ‘em all, Canada.

A sticker stuck to the cellophane of Happiness offers potential buyers the following information: “Spearin blurs the line between speaking and singing, writing music based on the accidental melodies of everyday life.” Intriguing, right? The sticker also notes that Spearin is a member of both Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene. Couple all that info with Arts & Crafts’ stellar reputation and you have a promising looking disc; crack the thing open and you’ll realize that, indeed, Canada has played a little trick on you. For starters, there’s no singing on Happiness. There’s hardly and music, either. Spearin, who proudly lives in downtown Toronto with his wife and his mustache, spent months interviewing his neighbors, asking them to explain their version of happiness to him. Spearin recorded these interviews and then went to work, often with some of his 19 (count ‘em) Broken Social Scene pals - Kevin Drew included.

Each track begins with one of Spearin’s neighbors ranting on about their version of what it means to be happy. Again, they talk, just like everyday people - you and I. They don’t sing or even offer any zing or distinct personality to their speech. Spearin then took these recordings and attempted to make songs out of them, taking a new approach with each of the album’s eight tracks. There’s a tune where a man with a heavy accent is speaking while a trumpet plays along with him, attempting to match his speech pattern. It’s not music. It’s not even an interesting experiment. Other tracks feature people talking, then a few seconds of silence, a brief jazzy interlude and then more talking. There’s a song where a woman talks for about two minutes before Spearin and his band attempt to play music that perfectly matches her speech patterns. And no, it doesn’t work. Not at all.

The Happiness Project is interesting for exactly 30 seconds - that’s how long it takes you to realize that you are $13 the poorer, and that nothing worthwhile has been added to your life. Even if you do somehow find satisfaction out of these experiments (note: this isn’t experimental music, it’s just an experiment - no different from making grilled cheese with a clothes iron), the chances of you wanting to ever listen to the “album” a second time will be very low. Well, unless you enjoy listening to complete strangers give completely average insights on the topic of happiness over and over again. Sure, Canada, it’s been a slow year for music thus far, but there are great bands out there who would kill to have the resources you offered Spearin. Shame on you, Canada; this is all your fault.   4.5/10

Written by G. William Locke III