If Paige Tremaine’s name isn’t quit familiar, perhaps you’d at least recognize her husband Chase – the entrepreneurial spirit behind the JFH podcast, one of the mainstays in the Christian independent music world, and a man who boasts several albums to his name (among many other hobbies and talents).
It might be easy to mistake that Paige’s songwriting, assisted powerfully by her husband, would be simpler or have more of a side project feeling to it on paper. But you’d also be quite wrong: it’s clear Happy Powers, her musical moniker, means serious business and is in fact a captivating rock project. That’s right – “Garden Song” is dynamic and powerful, cutting through the sea of female-led coffeeshop folk projects.
Musically, there’s definitely an array of familiar elements: Anberlin-esque guitars, moody and dark vocals that remind me of Plumb or Evanescence, a nice gang vocal section, and enough minor-key elements to give it a polished, prog-rock type feeling.
Lyrically, the track explores Adam’s regret after disobeying God. Paige focuses intensely on the grief that accompanies the fallen world and reminds us all of creation is groaning impatiently for redemption. It’s certainly not the first song to touch on such a pivotal element of the Christian faith, but it’s a topic that never seems to become dull. We know the world is broken, we long for restoration, and we’re tired and needy.
Word on the street is there’s a larger collection of songs on the way at some point, but the Tremaines certainly know how to kick off a new project and you won’t want to sleep on Happy Powers.
