Here's an interesting fact about Myslowice: it’s a town in Poland once famous for being the spot where the Austrian, German and Russian Empires met. And here’s a somewhat more interesting fact about Myslovitz the band: you might never have heard of them, but earlier this year they sold-out The Village.
Myslovitz, who take their name from the German spelling of their hometown, have sold millions across the world although they still record mainly in their native tongue. But what’s really surprising listening to Happiness Is Easy is that it’s their eighth album, so you would imagine they might have found a unique sound by now. But the more you listen to it, the harder it gets to tell who the real Myslovitz are.
Is it the Britpop impersonators heard on opening track ‘Fikcja Jest Modna’? Or are the real Myslovitz the creators of the subtler and more atmospheric ‘Sciac Wysokie Drzewa’, which shows traces of early Coldplay and Radiohead?
There’s not enough innovation on the album to suggest the Poles can compete with rock’s big boys, but there are a few tracks that suggest the potential is there. Lead single ‘Miec Czy Byc’ is an intriguing listen, even if the pleasantly familiar pub rock melodies are nothing to write home about. The focus here is on the vocals, and the delivery makes for a compelling three minutes.
‘Nocnym Pociagiem Az Do Konca Swiata’ impresses, as does the danceable ‘Kilka Uscisków Kilka Snow’. But there are too many moments where songs that seem on the verge of taking off collapse into predictable rock-lite territory.
A major problem undoubtedly lies in the mixed styles that vocalist Artur Rojek goes for. One minute he’s loud and in your face, the next he’s aiming for a breathy, heartbreakingly serious tone, and having listened to both side by side, it’s hard to take either seriously.