DS Record Review: Various Artists – “A 7 Step Guide to Happiness”

Compilation albums have been a staple of punk rock for years. They have always been a great way to give you a preview of a record label’s lineup and sound. Sell the Heart has released their compilation, A 7 Step Guide to Happiness, with seven non-album tracks from the label’s fantastic lineup of bands.

A Seven Step Guide To Happiness kicks off with the indie and post-hardcore sounds of Her Head’s On Fire‘s song, “Bound.” The song’s steady and meditative opening matches the almost zen-like chanting of the vocals. Consisting of members from other bands such as Garrison, Saves The Day, and Small Brown Bike, Her Head’s On Fire has a lineup familiar enough to push it to new levels. 

Next up is San Diego’s Hauntu and their song “Mote It Be.” Self-describing themselves as ghost punk, their haunting vocals delivering dark lyrics and fuzzy garage rock guitars elevate this song beyond what could be what separates them from being just another horror punk band. “Mote It Be” is a good taste of what’s to come on their upcoming LP. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Neckscars‘s LP Unhinged when I reviewed it a couple of months back. This is the title track, but it’s not on the album itself; it serves as a great extension of those songs. Shotclock’s song, “Fucked,” is three minutes of pop-punk delight. Moderately tempoed with a hint of regret in its lyrics. 

“Brackney,” contributed by Time Spent Driving, has that Midwest Emo feel. While the United Kingdom-based band, Bear Away’s “Modern Mountains” picks things up with a melodic hardcore song, Hotlung closes this comp with their song, “Fire it Up.” It’s a heavier guitar sound that feels closer to Alice in Chains than the emo and punk rock influence featured on this comp, but it works.

While each band is different there is definitely a through line when it comes to the bands’ sound, which could border on nostalgic if they weren’t so damn good at updating the genres. That’s something that could be hard to maintain when everyone is influenced by a similar sound. Sell The Heart does a great job choosing bands that vary enough in sound to not be repetitive. A 7 Step Guide to Happiness is a great example of this. Pick up Sell the Heart Records’ A 7 Step Guide to Happiness here.