Crunching guitar distortion and lushly absorbing vocals intertwine on “happy birthday mr. president,” a memorable rocker from Cleveland-based duo Grumpy Plum. Coming off 2023 full-length Real Tough Guy, the project excels with a climactic, no-frills prowess on this track, culminating in a fuzzed-out title-touting declaration, sarcastic and bitingly political in its critique of warmongering politicians: “Happy birthday Mr. President / No I don’t know where your presents went / Have you looked under the bodies? Have you seen all of the bodies?”
Tallulah Swasey (vocals/songwriter) spearheads a fully immersive sound, especially resonant in the approach to the three-minute mark, where panting rhythms and sturdy guitar distortion cohesively blend amidst Swasey’s dreamily enticing vocal presence. Combining with visceral, poignant lyrical commentary, “happy birthday mr. president” is a surefire success from the ascending duo.
—
This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
