Not Even Happiness

Julie Byrne - Not Even Happiness
Critic Score
Based on 24 reviews
2017 Ratings: #149 / 939
User Score
Based on 378 ratings
2017 Rank: #297
Liked by 18 people
January 27, 2017 / Release Date
LP / Format
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CRITIC REVIEWS

91
Consequence of Sound

There’s something to be said for the potential for personal growth inherent in traveling without a destination, and every song here is the sound of Julie Byrne making peace with her restlessness.

90
The 405
Whereas she once allowed the listener to seek out their own space within her songs, this music feels confidently, deliberately, hers.
83
Pitchfork

Singer-songwriter Julie Byrne’s new album has the lucidity and tactility of a healing crystal. Not unlike Phil Elverum, she paints sublime, awestruck moments when simple things become overwhelming.

83
Pretty Much Amazing

The result is a record that’s concerned about faith, death, and the metaphysical. It’s heady stuff but grounded with vignettes of everyday activities—a beautiful, comforting second work from the singer.

80
XS Noize

Not Even Happiness is a gem of an album and listeners who appreciate the works of artists like Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell and Sufjan Steven will find much to admire. There is a lot to appreciate on the album, especially Byrne’s delightful voice which carries so much emotion in her delivery while being utterly organic and guileless.

80
The Irish Times
The sounds throughout are sparse and underplayed, wisps of soft acoustic guitar and languid flute and string arrangements here and there, and work perfectly with how Byrne wants her songs to talk about solitude, detachment and following your own star.
80
Record Collector

Not Even Happiness is intent on taking us back to the garden and in these cynical times, perhaps there’s a vacuum across the ocean for artists that are warmer, purer, less needy than the careerist indie-rock that has gone before. Long may this Morning Dove not Tweet.

80
The Observer

Abetted by some sparse orchestration, the beauty of Not Even Happiness takes effect even if you can’t make out Byrne’s measured poeticism: the voice is a balm.

80
Mojo
There's something romantic about this quiet, thoughtful music, but there's a sad quality to it too.
80
Uncut

Second proper album from rootless songwriter Julie Byrne rejects the idea of the great outdoors as a limitless confession booth, and makes it into a legitimate source of desire.

80
The Guardian
This second album might not hang together were it not for the fact Byrne herself appears immersed within the worlds she sings about – there’s something pleasingly organic about the way she almost seems to exhale the melodies.
80
Loud and Quiet
Its gentle, melting quality is restorative — from the soft folkish melodies of the opening track ‘Follow my Voice,’ to the soothing ocean sounds of ‘The Sea as it Glides’, this is music that offers an antidote to the contemporary collective madness.
80
Exclaim!

Not Even Happiness is a triumph of subtlety, proof that music doesn't have to be forceful to be powerful.

80
The Line of Best Fit

Listening to Not Even Happiness is like being wrapped up in blanket as a child; it gives you comfort and more than a little reassurance, whatever the future may have in store.

80
Sputnikmusic

On each and every song, her performance exhibits a natural and believable energy that keeps things alluring even during its quietest moments. It’s that feeling -- like she’s baring her soul with each tender retrospection -- that makes Not Even Happiness feel like such a forbidden pleasure to the listener. Each time you listen to it, you feel like you’re gaining a little piece of rare knowledge from the singer’s weathered and experienced life.

80
DIY
It’s a record wrapped in tenderness, gentle acoustic guitar and Julie’s comfortingly warm voice forming its foundations.
80
Under the Radar

Beyond the hushed sounds of the record, Byrne, for the most part, is not timid but in possession of a rich confidence.

80
NME
When it’s only January but you’re already convinced you’re listening to one of the finest albums of the year, then it’s highly possible you’ve heard something very special indeed.
70
No Ripcord

The decidedly naturalistic Not Even Happiness may imply that Byrne is simply catering to her own desires, but in doing so, she’s actually inviting us to witness her growth as both an artist and an individual.

70
Spectrum Culture

Although it’s cliché to talk about an assured sophomore effort, Not Even Happiness shows just what Byrne is capable of with crisp production and a wealth of self-reflective travel in support of Rooms with Walls and Windows.

70
AllMusic

Here, she reestablishes what has been her trademark: delicate, dreamy folk governed by a quiet melancholia.

70
Drowned in Sound
The time taken to create this album was well invested; every aspect is carefully considered, from the running order to the lyrics to the delicate instrumental detail you find flecked throughout.
60
Q Magazine
Occasionally, Byrne subtly expands her musical palette with strings and woodwind, but never at the expense of her own guitar and vocals.
Missing_Lyriks
80

I think the word you’re looking for is “Depressing”

vivi
82

@Missing_Lyriks recommendation (Three of six).

I wasn't expecting a folk album, but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It has a very mellow, pleasant sound to it that makes it an enjoyable listen.

The thing about this album is that it doesn't really keep me interested in the tracks enough for it to be something I would listen to man times, but this album is beautifully done and so well put together that it gets a pretty high score from me.

This album is soft, mellow, and gentle ... read more

lemuriams
90

I would take a long time to listen to this album and it turned out to be a better album than any that I heard in 2016.

Tracks 10/10 is a natural blue, melting grid, follow my voice, sea as it glides.

This album is the essence of what I love about music - dreamy, full of space and guitar + keys.

I told you it would be a typical 8.3 to Pitchfork, but for me it 9.0

Missing_Lyriks
80

I think the word you’re looking for is “Depressing”

vivi
82

@Missing_Lyriks recommendation (Three of six).

I wasn't expecting a folk album, but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It has a very mellow, pleasant sound to it that makes it an enjoyable listen.

The thing about this album is that it doesn't really keep me interested in the tracks enough for it to be something I would listen to man times, but this album is beautifully done and so well put together that it gets a pretty high score from me.

This album is soft, mellow, and gentle ... read more

LilSunny33
85

But this did provide happiness.

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Added on: November 15, 2016