


Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said, "It's a surprisingly laid-back album, but that's not necessarily a bad thing – the lush arrangements have an engaging, low-key charm, and the beats are nice and subtle." He added, " Happy End of the World runs a little too long, and no song stands out as a single, but it's an engaging record that suggests there may be more to the Pizzicato Five than kitsch." Club said, "It's an excellent addition to the duo's expansive canon, and a must for any pop fan who thinks mainstream dance music can and must be better than the ' Barbie Girl' drivel that populates Top 40 radio playlists." Matt Diehl of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Japan's favorite avant-lounge duo, Pizzicato Five, returns with a more club-oriented set, but their blend of '60s kitsch and savvy pop-culture references remains intact in Happy End of the World, giving the Cardigans a run for the retro-hip money." Stephen Thompson of The A.V.
Pizzicato music professional#
He describes it as having "both the density and adventurousness of a plunderphonics record (despite much of it being performed live) and the chilled, featherweight listenability of lounge and easy-listening pop." Critical reception Professional ratings Review scores Tokyo Weekender writer Ed Cunningham found that the album saw the band expanding on the "beat-driven experimentation" that had been hinted at on previous albums such as Sweet Pizzicato Five (1992) and Bossa Nova 2001 (1993). On Happy End of the World, Pizzicato Five incorporated influences from contemporary styles of electronic music, including breakbeat, downtempo and drum and bass, into their trademark Shibuya-kei sound. Happy End of the World was reissued by Readymade on March 31, 2006. A companion remix album, Happy End of You, was released in 1998. In the United States, it was released by Matador Records on September 9, 1997, and peaked at number 32 on Billboard 's Heatseekers Albums chart. The album was released on June 21, 1997, by Readymade Records. Happy End of the World ( ハッピー・エンド・オブ・ザ・ワールド) is the tenth studio album by Japanese pop band Pizzicato Five.
