The album
Happy Birthday bears little resemblance to the cute and bubbly new wave pop of the title track, for which they're best remembered. Instead of capitalizing on the brightness of the obvious hit single, producer Steven Severin (of
Siouxsie & the Banshees) pushed the band into moodier post-punk territory with minimalist arrangements and simple, driving rhythms. Clair Grogan's little-girl voice was probably better suited to pop, but the combination of the two extremes is certainly interesting, if not as fun and engaging as "Happy Birthday." ~ Chris Woodstra