Super Fun Happy Band! - Calls (2008)

Review by Lisa Dib

Even though what originally drew me to Super Fun Happy Band! was the use of a cunning Simpsons in-joke, I was pleasantly surprised to find a jittery electro-rock outfit under the gag.

"Calls" is nothing innovative; every Tom, Dick and Neon is doing the electro thing in some shape these days, and it is inevitable that the whole damn scene ends up mashing into a giant fluro clutter .

But, riddle me this, dear reader, do we really need innovation? In an unfortunate time for music wherein even the laziest bleep-boop absurdity can top the Hit Parade, music lovers are left in a saddening dark, one of uncertainty and apocalyptic paranoia. Think I’m exaggerating? You have no idea.

My point being, "Calls" is another in a long line of local releases that hits the proverbial nail on the head. No, it isn’t rattling any cages, it isn’t gasp-worthy or astounding, it’s just a fun slice of dance music. A CD you can chuck on before you go out as you decide between jeans or a dress, after you’ve had a few pre-drinks, dancing around the house in your underwear.

This is anticipation music; the kind of rekkid you hear and think, 'Something great is coming'. SFHB are quickly gaining notoriety in this town, and this release is bound to pucker up the general punters’ interests.

Kids at School is a proficient opener; an enjoyable little electro-rock ditty if ever I heard one. My initial worry is singer Mark’s vocal technique; the whole Ian Curtis-esque vox have been beyond death, that I can’t help but be bothered by. The nerdalicious LAN Party is an easy track to love and will surely hit a dance floor somewhere soon.

Having seen SFHB live before reviewing this CD, I have a 'saw-the-movie-before-reading-the-book' notion of it; their live show is miles ahead of anything I have heard them put to CD. Their energy is contagious, a deadly electro virus causing jittering of the hands and feet and consistent, almost hypnotic, nodding of the head. The most fun disease you’ll ever have!

Synth- man Nathaniel is wise in his synthing; not allowing the songs to be drenched in a synth blanket, making the songs sound more like a modern day rock-electro release rather than a vile 80’s flashback trash that is usually accompanied by a fluro yellow 1980s slogan tee (how’s this for a slogan tee? “Make Love Not Shitty Slogan Tees”?)

The CD rounds out to the 180-degree-turn of Epilogue, presenting the musicianship of our Super Fun Happy Friends. The song is performed on the natural enemy of electro: the acoustic guitar. It is comforting to me, the rock pig I am, to see a young band keeping to some sort of alternative roots, rather be swept up like a dead jellyfish at the beach into the sea of fluro t-shirts, coloured sunglasses and far, far too many remnants of the gawd-awful 80s.

RATING: 3 out of 5