MP3 REVIEW: The Illegal Wiretaps “Too Much Happiness E.P.”

The Illegal Wiretaps “Too Much Happiness E.P.”

                It’s good to see that the more things change the more they stay the same.  I’ve been bouncing back and forth between older Illegal Wiretaps releases and newer ones, and this happens to be one of the newer ones so I had no idea what to expect.

                The “Too Much Happiness E.P.” almost follows the pattern of casiotopia/rusty acoustic, only it takes it to a whole other level.   The instrumental electronic rock side of the songs are a bit more funky, like something out of the 1980s or early 1990s and they just have some kind of soul that previous Illegal Wiretaps instrumentals didn’t have (And I don’t mean that in a religious way, but rather a James Brown way… not to say James Brown doesn’t have a soul, but in the way that he has soul… Though technically, he’s dead, but… I’m stopping now)

                I almost even want to say that these instrumental songs border on seapunk, which is quite lovely because I have been obsessing over seapunk a lot lately.

                On the other side of the coin (i.e. every other song in an alternating sense) has this electro madness behind it of music that’s just very unconventional, even for The Illegal Wiretaps.   These songs are laced with tinny vocals that seem to be coming through either a really bad microphone or just some kind of effect to make them sound as such.

                So rather than say casiotopia/rusty acoustic, I’d say something more like borderline seapunk/tinny electro mess.    Either way, I’m glad The Illegal Wiretaps are still sticking with albums that can alternate styles based on the song.     They will always leave you guessing, yet wanting more.