Goo Goo Dolls - You Should Be Happy EP EP Review

Having released their eleventh studio album last year, Goo Goo Dolls return with the under-utilised EP format, containing four new tracks and a remix of the title cut from ‘Boxes’. The Buffalo natives set out on an extensive North American tour in July, taking them through until the middle of September.

Since their mid-career sound change, radio-friendly rock appears to be an effortless task for the ‘Dolls and ‘Tattered Edge/You Should Be Happy’ is another example of this. Upbeat and with a lifting chorus, it far from excites, yet provides comfort in its familiarity. ‘Use Me’ takes a darker tone with a lo-fi presentation, while ‘30K Feet’ is one of the better songs that bassist Robby Takac has taken lead vocals on in some time. The remix of ‘Boxes’ adds a synthesised beat, but retains the lead characteristics of the original, resulting in a sound that isn’t really that far removed from the base material. It’s fine, but arguably unnecessary – an apt summary for this release as a whole. There isn’t an essential addition to the band’s catalogue, but at the same time, it will tide fans over nicely until the next album.