Even in the annals of post-punk esoterica, the Happy Refugees are an under-the-radar outfit. They released one mini-album and one single in the early ‘80s before disappearing, and even when the 21st century post-punk revival was at full steam, their story was scarcely retold. Thankfully, three decades after the band's emergence, Return to Last Chance Saloon arrived to document the band's brief, previously unheralded golden moment. The Refugees' Last Chance Saloon LP and "Warehouse Sound" single are included here, as well as demos and (via the download code that comes with the album) alternate takes. While the most obvious audience for the band's scrappy, homemade sound would be aficionados of post-punk pioneers like the Fall and Alternative TV, as well as admirers of the U.K. D.I.Y. scene (Desperate Bicycles, Danny & the Dressmakers, et al.), Happy Refugees' short discography also transcends the post-punk pigeonhole. The title track of the band's only album bears a distinctly Fall-like skeleton, but "Screaming and Shouting" could be taken for a particularly rough-hewn pub rock track, and "This Is Cold" has some of the dark drama of early Echo & the Bunnymen, while "Bury Me" is a downright pretty ballad. The prominence of piano throughout the band's output sets it apart from the post-punk pack as well. The short flight of the Happy Refugees almost slipped through the cracks of history, but Return to Last Chance Saloon shows that it's a tale well worth telling.
© J. Allen /TiVo