Do you know the name of the bassist in your favorite band? Didn’t think so. Bassists are usually overlooked in bands, playing second fiddle to the more spotlight-friendly lead singers and guitarists.

An interesting “supergroup,” consisting of Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, New Order and Joy Division bassist Peter Hook and Stone Roses bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, collectively, Freebass, releases It’s A Beautiful Life today. How do three bassists perform together in one group, you ask? Well, according to the band’s bio, Mani does the low parts, Andy plays the mid levels and Peter does the high parts.

The album, which also features vocalist Gary Briggs from Haven,  is quite eclectic, jumping from a song that sounds very ‘80s, “It’s Not Too Late,” to a song that sounds decidedly reggae, “Stalingrad” in just a few songs.

Aside from the band’s name connoting rampant crack use, the album is an obvious collaboration of seasoned musicians having a great time. As mentioned before “It’s Not Too Late” has an ‘80s vibe with feel-good overtones. The choral-sounding chorus makes me want to snap my fingers and dance around.  “The Only Ones Alone” sounds like a pop song you might hear on an adult contemporary radio station. Gary Briggs’s vocals are spot on, though, making it a beautiful song in its own right.

“Lady Violence” and “World Won’t Wait” bring out a darker, more eerie sound in Freebass, with refrains like “almost lost myself” crashing into swelling guitar solos. “Kill Switch Part 141” and “Secrets And Lies” have definite elements of dance/electronica, which makes me like the album. You can hear the elements of all of the bassists’ former groups, all bands that I myself love.

While it can be said that the lyrics in some songs can be a bit simplistic, the great songs definitely make up for them. “The God Machine” consists mostly of Briggs saying “I don’t feel like singing anymore” but in such pained and emotional way that it doesn’t really matter.

All in all, It’s A Beautiful Life is good, and when you consider who it’s coming from, it’s pretty amazing. I liked the album, and if you liked The Smiths, The Stone Roses and New Order, you will too.

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