We can’t deny that the music industry has a competitive edge, but let me introduce you to Angus Crowne and the Family Jewels and their latest album, “Everybody Wants To See Me Happy.” Join me as I discuss this album at length and explain why competition is not the first thing that comes to mind with these folks.
“Everybody Wants To See Me Happy” started with this upbeat, jazz-chopping drum solo and what made it interesting was when the bass and the guitar came in, it created this post-punk feel because of how it was mixed. Not to stereotype but the drum tone in this track is geared towards that jazz avenue but it was redirected elsewhere.
The lyrics on this track are easy to understand, it doesn’t have any underlying tropes and the melody is straightforward. The song’s anthem is basically on the title itself. Everybody just wants to see the narrator happy. It’s a great intro and single to the LP because it’s nonlinear and you can just enjoy how skillful the musicians are.

The second track of the LP, “Lullaby Blues Revisited,” started with a vocal count-off. It started easy until the lyrics came in, and to be honest, I’ll just let you decide on it. It’s a two-liner lyric that is easy to understand and is pretty straightforward.
I specifically like the reggae touch in the middle part and the post-punk genre change in the latter part of the track. Those changes indicated that Angus Crowne and the Family Jewels are having fun during the recording session of this track
“It’s Not Easy” is the third track of the LP, and this track has a country-folk touch to it because of the song progression, chord progression, and drum pattern used. The premise of the song is about the narrator wanting to give the best to their partner because he knows that he is not easy to please. Another song that is easy to understand and easy to sing along to. By this track, I have to give props to the drummer because of it’s skillfulness. Learning and laying drums to a song is one thing, but making the song pop is another.
And now we have “It’s So Nice To Meet You.” This track has the same premise as “Lullaby Blues Revisited.” The lyrics of the song are the title itself. It has three verses with the same lyrics and an acapella version in the last parts of the song.

I’m trying to decipher whether there’s an underlying meaning behind the arrangement and the whole song, but I think there is none. Angus Crowne and the Family Jewels are just having fun, and that’s alright. With all the competition in the music industry right now, here we have Angus Crowne and the Family Jewels having fun and enjoying creating music, which is and should be the main reason we are in this industry in the first place: to have fun and to enjoy.
“Love Ditty” started with this groovy bass line with a guitar effect thingy that sounds like a sample which is a complete 180 spin to their previous tracks giving us a glimpse of the group’s vast creativity and skills.
What made this track interesting is that some of the vocal parts of the song are a bit off with the melody. I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not but if it is then I have to give props to that. Singing even a bit off-tune is a hard feat especially if it’s intentional.
What I like about “Imaginere” is its randomness. It started with this progression that a lot of times works by using a minor chord but the group decided to use a major chord and heavy synth to make it sound gloomy and mysterious. The turnaround is the second chord which I believe is the IV chord of the key creating this coming-of-age feel. In short, the notes used in this track are pretty unusual with the usual stereotypical progression that musicians use and it works!
On top of all that creativity and skillfulness that Angus Crowne and the Family Jewels has showcased, the group decided to create an easygoing and sweet track using only a ukelele on “You And Me” The narrator is talking directly to the listener and the hope is that we listener’s can and will enjoy this track with his ukelele and that’s the basis of the track.
“Happy Feet” is an upbeat-sounding song because of the main chord progression and drum pattern of the track. The lyrics complement the arrangement perfectly because of its main hook / I have happy feet / that want to move and meet /
“Summer Haze” started with this bossa nova progression with a ukelele lick that completed each other very well. The horn instrument addition in the latter part of this song complemented the whole arrangement of the track
The LP ended with “Melody Post Mortem.” which has a heavy ukelele progression with this playful keyboard lick at the end of the verses.
Overall, the Everybody Wants To See Me Happy LP is a fun listen. You can hear and feel that Angus Crowne and the Family Jewels enjoyed their time with this LP without a bit of that competitive edge in it, and we should be reminded of that simple thing. The joy of creating music. It should not be all competition, what’s trending or hip. We as artists need to understand that not everything is about competition, but sometimes we just need to create music that we love.
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About the Author

He has been in the music industry for two and a half decades. Currently, he plays bass guitar for a rock-reggae band called EnjointPh and a funk-fusion trio called Banky. He also hosts a podcast titled Usapang Musiko with Ervin Besana, which explores topics such as music, arts, and philosophy.