IN REVIEW
REVEREND & THE MAKERS
IS THIS HOW HAPPINESS FEELS?
Reviewer: David Weddle
Artist: Reverend and the Makers
Album: Is This How Happiness Feels?
Release: 8th of May 2026 via Distiller Records
Artist: Reverend and the Makers
Album: Is This How Happiness Feels?
Release: 8th of May 2026 via Distiller Records
Reverend and the Makers have returned with their brand new album Is This How Happiness Feels? Their first release since 2023's Heatwave in the Cold North, and we were lucky enough to be able to check it out in advance of it's release on 8th of May 2026. Here is what we thought.
The album kicks off with Haircut which features Vicky McClure who shares vocal duties with Jon. It is really upbeat with a larger than life sound which is in contrast to the subject matter, which analyses the state of a long-term relationship where people stop noticing the small things, like your partner getting a haircut and you not noticing. It's just a small thing but highlights the complacency trap. Tackling it head on with the lyrics "I didn't notice; I'm sorry, girl." It is one of the singles from the album and does a great job of introducing you to the album as well.
The whole album showcases the very best of Reverend and the Makers and where they are musically at this moment in time. I had a little trek back in time to 2002 to relisten to The State Of Things, and they still sound as good now as they did back then. There is still the same vibe and concentration on everyday struggles that keeps their music so relevant to the ordinary person on the street.
Looking back over the years, the song Fucked Up, which features Robbie Williams no less, is a look back over people of times gone by who tried to keep the party going. It is a cracking track, but it does strike a chord that makes you stop and think about people in your own life who either didn't make it or put a little too much effort into the party than the living.
There is an honesty and authenticity to this album and a real maturity to the lyrics that will definitely resonate with the vast majority of people as Reverend and the Makers write about essentially the human experiences that they have been through rather than something fantastical. Down to earth and toe-tappable, what more could you possibly want?
This is something that probably shows my age, but pick any track, from Crying Over You to Laid Back to UFO, whatever you click on, each track has that comforting nostalgic vibe that you normally get from putting the needle to the vinyl of a record that you've not heard in a while. That's something that I wasn't expecting, but they have pulled it off.
This is a real feel good album musically, you could easily add it to your chill-out playlist this summer and enjoy it while getting some rays around the pool on holiday or, equally, get yourself an earful of musical goodness on your daily commute. Either way, this is a sure-fire winner.
The album finishes with one of the most emotional tracks on the album, Twenty Seven Past Midnight. I won't delve into it too much, but you will get it when you listen to it. Really powerful stuff that takes a lot to write and, I imagine, quite a bit to perform, but it is a solid track and one that poignantly brings the album to a close.
Jon's voice is as distinctive and inviting as ever. He has kept his accent, thank god, and his ability to switch between gritty and silky smooth vocals is one of the reasons for Reverend and the Makers, a band that have endeared and endured. Good to have them back on the scene and sounding incredible.
The album kicks off with Haircut which features Vicky McClure who shares vocal duties with Jon. It is really upbeat with a larger than life sound which is in contrast to the subject matter, which analyses the state of a long-term relationship where people stop noticing the small things, like your partner getting a haircut and you not noticing. It's just a small thing but highlights the complacency trap. Tackling it head on with the lyrics "I didn't notice; I'm sorry, girl." It is one of the singles from the album and does a great job of introducing you to the album as well.
The whole album showcases the very best of Reverend and the Makers and where they are musically at this moment in time. I had a little trek back in time to 2002 to relisten to The State Of Things, and they still sound as good now as they did back then. There is still the same vibe and concentration on everyday struggles that keeps their music so relevant to the ordinary person on the street.
Looking back over the years, the song Fucked Up, which features Robbie Williams no less, is a look back over people of times gone by who tried to keep the party going. It is a cracking track, but it does strike a chord that makes you stop and think about people in your own life who either didn't make it or put a little too much effort into the party than the living.
There is an honesty and authenticity to this album and a real maturity to the lyrics that will definitely resonate with the vast majority of people as Reverend and the Makers write about essentially the human experiences that they have been through rather than something fantastical. Down to earth and toe-tappable, what more could you possibly want?
This is something that probably shows my age, but pick any track, from Crying Over You to Laid Back to UFO, whatever you click on, each track has that comforting nostalgic vibe that you normally get from putting the needle to the vinyl of a record that you've not heard in a while. That's something that I wasn't expecting, but they have pulled it off.
This is a real feel good album musically, you could easily add it to your chill-out playlist this summer and enjoy it while getting some rays around the pool on holiday or, equally, get yourself an earful of musical goodness on your daily commute. Either way, this is a sure-fire winner.
The album finishes with one of the most emotional tracks on the album, Twenty Seven Past Midnight. I won't delve into it too much, but you will get it when you listen to it. Really powerful stuff that takes a lot to write and, I imagine, quite a bit to perform, but it is a solid track and one that poignantly brings the album to a close.
Jon's voice is as distinctive and inviting as ever. He has kept his accent, thank god, and his ability to switch between gritty and silky smooth vocals is one of the reasons for Reverend and the Makers, a band that have endeared and endured. Good to have them back on the scene and sounding incredible.