[.ca] Happiness And Disaster

Amazon.ca:
On Stabilo's website, the Vancouver band declare that they are "focusing on musicianship the way others might focus on hairstyles." The boys speak the truth: the quartet's songwriting skills and complex harmonies on Happiness & Disaster place them well above a good percentage of their pop radio contemporaries, clearly showing their preference of substance over style. The group is centered around two singers, Jesse Dryfout (who takes on the introspective songwriting role) and Christopher John, whose sweet alto vocals possess a soft lilt à la James Blunt. The pair began performing together in high school, and their seemingly effortless harmonies shine as a result of that longterm pairing. Stabilo's musical proficiency is evident throughout this hour-long sophomore release, due in part to the disc's highly respected producer, Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate.) One of the CD's strongest tracks, "Kidding Ourselves," would fit perfectly between Coldplay and Maroon 5 on mainstream radio, while the rockier first single "Flawed Design" showcases the lads' clever lyrics via a track that describes the type of internal dialogue that would run through the head of an emotional manipulator. Just like life itself, Happiness & Disaster isn't perfect--"Delivering Idiots" admittedly owes more than a few props to Radiohead's "Creep" (right through the painfully familiar-sounding guitar solo)--but don't let that low point throw you off. This is not intended as a singles-oriented album; it is, instead, a full-length collection of emotion and introspection set to strongly-crafted melodies, and will undoubtedly gain further respect with each listen. --Denise Sheppard

Stabilo Continues Rise:
As one of the most talented groups to come out of of the west, Stabilo has always shown that they can create anthems with beautiful vocals and clever hooks. With their new album they cover new territory with a more polished sound and mix of new and relevant ways to keep their fans way more than satisfied. Singles such as "Flawed Design" and "Don't Look in their Eyes" each have the potential to make it huge in the mainstream and that is what they deserve. Another brilliant album from a band that you will be hearing a lot about in a fresh 06'.

Flawed Design? No:
With Flawed Design attacking the Canadian airwaves it should only be a matter of time until this group gets some recognition. With an endless supply of potential radio friendly singles, 2006 could be a big year for this less than well-known Canadian act. As far as I was concerned this was a debut album. But evidently this band has been kicking since the late 90's. Now I don't claim to be an expert, but Stabilo remind me of Matchbox 20 back when they were eager to impress. Does anyone remember that time? There is not a song on the album that I do not find catchy or enjoyable. I would love to hear Ordinary, or Rain Awile as the next single. By no means the best album to be released in 2006, but the best Canadian album so far. Check it out, enjoy and you can't beat the price.

Beautiful music - best we've heard in a long time...:
My wife and I have been listening to Happiness & Disaster non-stop for several weeks - the beautiful melodies, the subtle, witty, and sometimes poignant lyrics and great harmonies make this one of the BEST albums we've heard in a very long time. Happiness & Disaster brings back memories of some of the great music we used to listen to, but sadly don't hear much of any more. What did we listen to, you ask? The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, ELO, David Bowie, Crowded House, and Fleetwood Mac come immediately to mind (yes, rarified company, and well deserved in Stabilo's case). Highly recommended, can't wait to hear more from this great band... Cheers, RFerraro

Awesome album:
This cd is full of amazing songs. The songs keep getting better with each listen too. It's hard to name a favorite song, because they are all so good. Beautiful Madness, Happiness and Disaster, Don't Look in Their Eyes, Ordinary, Kidding Ourselves, Coffee Spills, and Flawed Design are all amazing, but so are the rest of the songs. Just buy the cd! The music and lyrics are awesome- which is so rare in a time when so much generic and crummy music is being released. Out of the 400+ cd's that I own, this is definately in the top 5.

• Don't Look In Their Eyes
• Habit
• Kidding Ourselves
• Don't Be So Cold
• Flawed Design
• Delivering Idiots
• Happiness & Disaster
• Coffee Spills
• Rain Awhile
• Ordinary
• Beautiful Madness
• If It Was Up To Me
• Everybody (Hidden Bonus Track)