One Happy Island: Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn’t Know About (2008)

Oh what’s that? You mean you aren’t listening to the newest One Happy Island EP Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn’t Know About from the greatest little record lab Wee Pop? Not even on vinyl? That’s a shame, a damn shame.

For the less savvy, I’ll be sassy with you and tell you that this latest EP from the sloppy Boston popsters might be their best work yet. And did I mention that Wee Pop! Records coughed up the dough to do a 7” vinyl run? That’s gotta count for something right? Right.

The songs, well the first two tracks, “Temporary Tattoo” and “Earth’s Circumference,” knock it out of the park and are probably my two favorite One Happy Island tracks overall.

“Temporary Tattoo” has a lilt of melancholy that will draw you into the extended metaphor of temporary tattoo-as-friends/lovers sticking together. It’s a little complicated (the issue at hand), but with Rebecca Mitchell’s beautifully understated voice ghosted by Brad San Martin’s harmonies the song distills any silliness offered by its initial premise.

“Earth’s Circumference” draws the melancholy out even further with a slightly heartbreaking tale of distance-destroying-relationships. Brad and Rebecca exchange vocals quite effortlessly while an old school Casio keyboard anchors the entire dizzying affair on, well, Earth.

“Shorthand” and “Mothball” never quite reach the same heights as the first two songs, but “Mothball” still works well as a semi-cathartic closer that ultimately is a winner due to the odd little chorus where Rebecca, Brad and friends sing, “Do the mothball with me, Catherine/Make ‘em think we did every sedative in Birmingham/Do the mothball with me, Catherine/Do just stand there/Do just stand there.” It’s evocative enough to keep me wondering what exactly it means.

Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn’t Know About is a great little introduction to One Happy Island and I think with this EP this self-described sloppy DIY band from Boston has finally hit their stride in combining everything cute and sad and wonderful about pop music. Oh and did I mention that you can grab this album on vinyl?

Mp3:
One Happy Island-"Temporary Tattoo"

Links:
One Happy Island on Myspace
Order the VINYL on Wee Pop! Records

One Happy Island: Pulaski Park (2008)

A self-deemed sloppy DIY band from Boston, One Happy Island has released their second EP, Pulaski Park, on Wee Pop! Records. It is a bit mellower than their self-titled EP, but what it lacks in energy it makes up in sunshine, kazoos and laser shows.

I think I know why this EP is mellower. When I listen to these songs I get the impression it is a journal of a day's events at this park drifting into the night. Each song sort of drips into the other and I smell the barbecue smoke and grass stains.

The songs on Pulaski Park are just four parts to the same song to me. “Anita” starts off with Rebecca’s soothing voice singing of a helpless devotion to a girl who’s far away. “Florida, Dear” continues the theme of distances, but bounces along in the albums most energetic track. “Potential” hops along to a country bass bounce and contains, as Marc from RetroLowFi said, “The best kazoo solo ever.” Finally everything reaches a beautiful climax with “Laser Show.” It is a very lyrical song befitting of Brad’s buttery vocals. By the end of the song I can see the sunrise to a new day and feel the morning dew in my nose. There were some ups and some downs but it was living.

One Happy Island joins the pantheon of artists released on Wee Pop! Records and does not disappoint listeners hoping for satisfying pop journey and more.

Mp3:
One Happy Island-"Laser Show"

Links:
One Happy Island on Myspace
Wee Pop! Records (2.0)