06/08/2025
Puerto Montt City Orchestra return to Higher Love Recordings with a touching single. Titled “And We’d Be So Happy”, the track’s a feet-moving but mellow, conga-ed and bongo-ed, mid-tempo mix of “nu-disco” and “nu-Balearic”, characterised by a distinct lack of programming, and instead some real playing. Dave 'Brooking Bass' Clarkeprovides a wonderfully warm B-line. Ellis Neil’s guitar starts off as sparse chimes, but progresses to pretty, plucked melodies. Key changes taking the fretwork mandolin-tight in places. The music is polished, but what makes this tune shine is the spoken prose, a line from which gives the song its name. Band member Tim Salter's daughter delivers a delightfully innocent tale of family trips to the seaside. Recounting memories of sipping sweet coffee from Thermos flasks and pier penny arcades in the rain. Describing simple moments of childhood magic and adventure. Times to treasure, whatever the weather.An alternative “Cruel Mistress Mix”, has the bass-line all rubbery, bouncing and buoyant, and also adds an upbeat 4 /4. There’s playful party percussion, including a triangle, as if everyone in the family has enthusiastically taken an instrument out of the box. The guitar shifts between space rock-y and that trebly mandolin shimmer. Summoning harmonious, halcyon days, the whole thing dances down memory lane, stopping off for cokes and crisps in a beer garden on the way home. Copy by Dr Rob Ban Ban Ton Ton
