The Maccabees - Something Like Happiness

For a strange moment on ‘Something Like Happiness’, it actually sounds like The Maccabees might be happy. Orlando Weeks seems to be leading his group through a jolly bro-down, all “woah” chants and raised fists. But as it turns out, Weeks is just singing about someone else. When he says “you just know where to go / it must be like nothing else,” he’s imagining what it’s like to ease through life on a perfect whim. In that sense, this is default mode Maccabees, offering out a seesaw of emotions without resolutely sticking to one or the other.

As opposed to ‘Marks to Prove It’’s ferocious build, ‘Something Like Happiness’ dives straight into the centrepiece. Its finest moments pop up when the song unfolds, revealing a gorgeous, twinkling mid-section that’s among their most treasured moments. “It must be like nothing else,” they bellow out in unison, once again standing several feet apart from every other band in the country.