New London Fire – Happiness Through Radios and Wires

There’s only one style of music that I love as much as loud, screaming rock and punk, and that’s doo wop from the 50s. It’s a sound you don’t come across much in modern music, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find this was the vibe on New London Fire’s album, Happiness Through Radios and Wires.

New London Fire have released this, their second album, independently and it has been 4 years in the making. Well worth the wait, in my opinion! The album blends a distinctly vintage feel with a modern musicality. It succeeds in making me nostalgic for a decade I wasn’t even alive in, with its doo wop melodies and lyrics that recall simpler times – exactly the same way the original music from the era makes me feel.

From the first funky drum beats of Long Shot it is obvious that this is going to be a unique album – and Long Shot is probably the least vintage-sounding of the lot. It’s an excellent example of indie pop with flawless composition and nice, relaxed vocals. Then the second song, Water Park, starts. It is a classic,Beach Boys-esque summery song and I was genuinely surprised for the album to take a turn in this direction.

On second listen (the second of many, I predict) it becomes obvious that there are two categories of song on the album – Long Shot is an example of the first, modern, a little harder, but with a vintage vibe. The second is the opposite – distinctly vintage, with a slight modern edge, which is where Water Park fits in.Lonely could be straight out of a 50s prom, while I could imagine hearing Here I Am on the radio today. It could have been very easy to get this mix wrong, but every song on the album works together to create something brilliant.

Olivia is definitely the standout track for me. It is upbeat, with a funky as heck guitar riff, and entrancing vocals from singer David Debiak. It’s incredibly catchy and I defy anyone to make it through the whole song without at least tapping their toes to the beat. As with the rest of the album, it has strong, mature lyrics that match the style of the music perfectly.

Oddly, for me, I wasn’t able to pick out a track that I thought was weak and should have been left off altogether. This is one of the best indie albums I’ve come across in ages, one that draws on everything I love about old music and mixes it with modern sensibilities. I love it and can’t wait to listen to it over and over!