Description:

So Much Unhappiness, So Little Time… marks the Breakup Society’s third full-length album and third release through Get Hip Recordings. It sees the veteran band expanding the scope of their sound without abandoning the pop sensibilities that set the standard for their 2004 debut, James at 35, or the bittersweet lyrical qualities singer Ed Masley refined on the band’s 2007 followup, Nobody Likes a Winner. Producer Bob Hoag (The Format, Gin Blossoms) once again lends a hand, helping imbue the record with a prevailing bittersweetness tinged with hints of darkly comic humor and unmistakable empathy.

So Much Unhappiness features plenty of the Breakup Society’s signature rock ‘n roll, from the reckless power-chord attack of “Here Comes Floyd” to the epic, psychedelic splendor of “She Doesn’t Cross Against the Light.” These standards are offset by the soulful waltz of “Mary Shelley,” majestic guitar pop of “Your Invitation to Quit,” hint of country twang on “The Upward Spiral,” and the piano-heavy theatrics of “(She’s) Supportin’ the War” and “Another Day in the Life.” “The Way We Weren’t,” co-written with John Wesley Harding, presents a melancholy ballad fueled by aching vocals, chiming lead guitar, and Mellotron.