Happiness
As a British dance-pop outfit, The Beloved found commercial success withHappinessboth on and off the dance floor. Validated by the hit "Hello," they were able to configure the vocal-dance scene for chart consumption. Combining electric rhythms, orchestral slams, guitar leads, and sultry singing, The Beloved secure a niche that sounds like a happier version of New Order or Depeche Mode. Softened by wandering lilts and melodic hooks, the emotional feedback seeps through, impelled by the early-'90s pop conventions that brought them onto the scene.--Lucas Hilbert