Happy Tooth is an emcee from Columbus that has been making music for about ten years, most notably for his work with Dug. Over the past year or so, he’s been working on his most recent album with producer Bum Theory, also from Columbus. Now the time is finally here for his most ambitious album to date, I’ve Been Meaning To Write The Meaning Of Life.

This album is interesting for a lot of reasons, but the main one that stands out to me is the specific tone that is struck by Happy Tooth and Bum Theory. Happy Tooth has a melodic delivery and penchant for pop-tendencies with his songwriting, and Bum Theory can match this tone in such a way that the album can sound a little “twee.” Normally, when this term is thrown about when talking about indie rock, there’s a certain implication that the music is “cute” or “light” in subject matter. However, that certainly isn’t the case on IBMTWTMOL. For one, while Bum Theory can produce these really melodic beats with a lot of bounce and space to them that are a lot of fun, he can also come in with some really hard beats that will make you turn up the volume and nod along with your stank face. Secondly, Happy Tooth is pouring his heart out on this album, and in turn that means that while there are some sweet and tender moments, there are also moments of toughness, self-doubt, anger, sadness, and everything in between. Ultimately, what really matters is that Happy Tooth and Bum Theory have incredible chemistry together, and they are both very versatile artists. They take you through the highs and low and everywhere in between. The songs will touch on indie rock, 8-bit, boom bap, trap, and synth pop, with nothing ever sounding out of place – everything is in conversation with the rest of the album. Lyrically, Happy Tooth is hitting on everything from touring and being on the grind as an independent artist, to opening up about fears and worries about being alive, to reminiscing and celebrating the friends and good times he’s made along the way. It’s the type of album that covers so much ground and is so open and honest in it’s emotional and intellectual and music content, you really feel like you’ve been taken on a journey by the time you get to the end of the album.

Happy Tooth might be a little lesser known outside of Ohio, but hopefully this album will catch a few more ears. I’ve Been Meaning To Write The Meaning Of Life is an incredible album from an artist who is really pouring his heart and soul into his art and leaving it all out on the table, all while crafting a style of hip hop that is entirely his own. That’s not easy to do.