Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Happy Times - Twang-O-Matic
 | Rock is reborn! Happy Times produce very well arranged and written psychedelic surf based music with a magnetic sound and liquid fury. Their Finish roots reinterpret the surf genre in wonderful, compelling ways. Rich, lush arranging and production takes this into the upper reaches of listenability. Recommended! |
Picks: Lo-Fi Spy, Last Bullet, Hypnosonic, Lost Fiction, Full Gravity, Jack Carter's Theme, Funeral In Berlin, All Quiet, Quantum Of Solace, Our Man In Cuba, Viva! Laika, Taranaki Steam Surfers, Mission Possible, One For Danny, Crosstown Traffic, Bells Of Konevitsa, Untitled
Track by Track Review
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Intense rock production with spies riding the curl. Glissandos, surfisms galore, go-go club riffs, and great bass and drums. "Lo-Fi Spy" is high energy, compelling, and relentless.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Classic surf second guitar patterns and creative textural use, along with rock tone and spunk. "Last Bullet" is a superb track played really well. Great guitars and bass, and very strong drums.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Whammy wah wah, reggae rhythms, spooky keys, sci-fi weirdness, and a strong espionage sound. "Hypnosonic" is really well developed, and very well produced. Its emotional danger and seductive whammy are perfect counterparts.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Spaghetti western surf rhythms and glorious liquid whammy carry you down a long river in a sweeping desert. Lovely guitar work and very strong writing. "Lost Fiction" rides across the sand with liquid flow and sultry imagery.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Easy sultry guitars meander the line between gentle and powerful. There's always something compelling about gentle melodies played mid tempo at full volume. The juxtaposition of power and beauty commands attention.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
The sea gently lapping at the shore gives way to a lush vacation epic with whistling organ and throbbing stereo panned tremolo. "Jack Carter's Theme" is slightly haunting, but mostly gorgeous.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Arranged as if Phil Spector was in the house, "Funeral In Berlin" makes great use of the beat from The Ronettes' "Be My Baby," as well as the wall of sound concept. Had Phil Spector taken on James Bond instead of Ronnie Spector, and employed stereo, it might have sounded like this. Very seductive and cool!
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Haunted Miles Corbin-like chords, a lush melody and rich wash of sound take you to an island where the sun is rising after a storm has passed. "All Quiet" is a song beauty and guts. Every one plays their part exactly as it should be. Superb!
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Tribal drums and throbbing tremolo phasers create a crystal clear image of space. There are some brilliant production delicacies that heighten an already very cool track! "Quantum Of Solace" is rich and very visual.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
With a string Cuban foundation, "Our Man In Cuba" rocks and sways with spunk and style. I'm not sure why, but this song seems more like the first album than the second. Strong and rhythmic.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
This track is intense and very rock instrumental in structure and delivery. As the title suggests, there's a serious dose of respect given to Laika and the Cosmonauts.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Big drums and whammy chords drive "Taranaki Steam Surfers" at a speedy clip. Glissandos grind and bridge lines swirl around a hint of "Comin' Home Baby," but with so much energy and spunk. The breaks are simply superb, perhaps like The Bitch Boys. This is over the top cool!
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
This theme has been done to death, so if you're going to cover it, reinvent it in your own distinct image. That is exactly what Happy Times have done. "Mission Possible" is so thoroughly updated via arrangement and delivery that it's virtually a new song!
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Thick tone and lumbering delivery, bell-like guitar lines, and a psychedelic flow make "One For Danny" seem part Jimi Hendrix, part Harvey Mandell, and part soaring space prog. very cool!
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Speaking of Jimi Hendrix, "Crosstown Traffic" is psychedelic and surfy and wah wah washed. Heavy, thick, multi-guitar textured, and aggressive. It would not work as well as it does without the thunder of the bass and the drums.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
"Bells Of Konevitsa" lushly flows on distant velvet. It's wispy tones and dark corners create an image of fog and a coming dawn. Dramatic and richly arranged.