Los Angeles-based indie rock outfit
Grouplove's 2011 full-length debut,
Never Trust a Happy Song, builds upon the neo-folk/rock and dancey indie rock of their 2010 self-titled EP. Still featuring the talents of lead vocalists
Hannah Hooper and
Christian Zucconi,
Grouplove tend toward creating passionate, anthemic pop moments that are equal parts post-
MGMT indie soul and post-
Killers dance-rock. Songs "Tongue Tied," "Spun," and "Love Will Save Your Soul" have a rollicking, post-punk exuberance while more hippie-dippy cuts such as "Colours" and "Naked Kids" (a carry-over from the EP) bring to mind such psychedelic touchstones as
the Flaming Lips and late-'60s
Beach Boys. In that sense,
Grouplove also fit nicely next to such similarly inclined contemporaries as
Local Natives,
New Villager, and
Black Kids. Ultimately,
Grouplove's
Never Trust a Happy Song is a cohesive if ramshackle crowd-pleaser, full of melodic double-lead vocals, handclaps, ringing electric guitars, and staccato synth parts that tips a hat to '80s dance-rock while still retaining the band's obvious love of experimental '60s folk-rock. ~ Matt Collar