Happyness

Sometimes patience is required when listening to music – some would say always – as the worth and rewards only come to the fore later on after repeated listens.

Having listened to the opening track on Happyness’s debut EP, It’s On You, several times it still has too much of the indie foppishness about it to be of any distinction. Luckily they have other ideas to share with us. Orange Luz slows the pace; the languid drumming to the fore and there are snatches that bring to mind mid-period Beatles and early Pink Floyd psychedelia. That’s followed by the drowsy Lascascadas; it’s virtually instrumental with a seemingly simple floating riff with minimal drum and vocals, think Fleetwood Mac’s Albatross and you’re in the ball park.

The EP closes with what could almost be Lascascasdas companion piece, Montreal Rock Band Somewhere. A gentle almost ambient piece, that drifts upon an undulating bass line, the low key vocals and harmonies adding depth. It sounds as if it could go on forever, and there’d be few complaints.

There’s an unmistakable transatlantic feel to this EP that harps back to period of time that the band can’t personally have experienced. I don’t know if they’ve been raiding their parents or grand-parents record collections but that doesn’t matter. There’s freshness about them and enough ideas to suggest that Happyness will have something to offer for a while yet.