The weather is great - A Happy Place by Whitely album review
There is not a better title for this album than A Happy Place. Whitely's 2021 album is exactly what I can use for this endless, climate induced, summer. An album like this blasts off some of the intense heat consuming the state I live in. Take me to that ice cold, extra chill, happy place Whitely.
The opening track to A Happy Place, "A Happy Place" would be an equally perfect piece for sitting along a nice cool shore, or enjoying the cold crisp winter. The soothing tones continue with the gently named "Bubbles." Now this track is only perfect on the beach with those opening notes that sound like digital seagulls before the rest of the chips gently strum into place. There are a lot of nice flourishes that give a lot of depth to the music.
"Ne' Aku" builds up a wall of sound that comes crashing down around the one and a half minute mark and spirals into a driving dance track This might be the catchiest song so far, but the attention to detail is constant and really creates a full atmosphere of chip music. It feels like you'd need a small fleet of Game Boys to get this richness out of some old fashioned game hardware. It crescendos again with a minute remaining, then drives it home. Hard to believe this track clocks in at near 6 minutes.
The longest track on the album is immediately followed up by the shortest, "Swept Away." A strong repeating riff centers the song, with a some nice drum tracking and a beautifully dirty bass tone hiding in the back.
You can almost feel the colors of sunrise on "Island Sunrise." Things build softly like the first waves of sunlight washing over you in the morning. Life moves fast though, and so does this song. The song really takes shape just before a minute in. Do I hear a chip maraca in this song? Mixed with those steel drums this might be the happiest place in A Happy Place. This mix has a moment of respite in the center, before jackhammering right back into the beat.
These tracks have some length to them but it is all used to good effect. Nothing seems to overstay it's welcome. It's been the opposite, that tracks need even more room to breath. I would love to hear Whitely go overboard and make some big, spaced-out 15-20 minute track. Got to keep the party going though, so the music grows and shifts often between tracks and during tracks.
Whoa there is singing on this album? "Do You Remember Me At All?" just threw me a curveball with those lovely vocals, giving this whole track a summer of '87 vibe. Then it's into "The Deep End," which is a proper title for another 5 minute party anthem. The initial notes stretch across the intro like an endlessly wailing guitar. The music quickly shifts to a rapid fire of notes leading into an atmospheric, almost nostalgic mood. That mood changes almost immediately as cracks form in the melody and switch to a much more urgent tone that builds to an alarm level crescendo before dropping into that familiar beat and getting us back to shore with a crash of instruments, and maybe bricks.
The constant sounds of the shore on "Midnight," along with the soft, dotted notes definitely make you think of the dark ocean water meeting the black night sky. This track also leads into the follow up, "Serenity." The waves continue to gently brush against the music as gentle, lullaby-esque tunes try to carry you off to sleep.
I guess those tracks count as a short rest before it's back to the beachfront dance party with "On the Beach." The track actually starts off sounding more like jet planes, rockets, and explosions, rather than a chill island atmosphere. The fusion of sounds makes this track feel like it's channeling the volleyball scene from Top Gun. The music is as complex as a shirtless volleyball match. The music feigns towards another banger, but veers towards a bouncy, triumphant tone. The final boss has been defeated, all that's left is to land your jet and head home.
Whatever those twangy laser noises (Yes, I am a music reviewer) are on Goodbye, I adore them. It sounds similar to the laser noises in the SNES version of Gradius 3, and I have never heard that tone in a track before. That tone could become kind of annoying on it's own, but Whitely pairs it against some spacier high notes that match up quite nicely. The somber mood of the intro continues to increase pace as the song builds. The high point comes at two and a half minutes and shows off the full instrumentation of the track, before shifting back and forth between the somber opening and back up into the full body of the song. The track ends with an unresolved fade out, and the 11 track, 46 minute, A Happy Place by Whitely is over… is what I'd say if he hadn't included two chill bonus remixes for the album.
First we get "Midnight (Je Mappelle's Shiny Mix)." This cut gets real hip hop with it by chopping up the beat and adding a few samples into the mix. Ja Mappelle really does a number on this track, and cuts a nice end to the track to make this remix a unique addition to the album. Finally, there is "Serenity (Popsicle Theory's Sundown Mix)." This carved up remix really blows up the gaming vibes of the album with a library of game sounds that would sound at home on any number of NES platformers. The effects compliment the track and give this Serenity remix a much more playful tone, while still having that nostalgic sound, of course, that nostalgia angle is way more up front on this remix.
Thirteen tracks later and you are now familiar with one of the latest from the Pteradactyl Squad netlabel. Go find A Happy Place on the PteSquad bandcamp page, and check out Whitely's personal bandcamp page as well.
“Watch the dolphins playing gleefully in the distance as you feel the foamy ocean lapping at your feet - a year on since the release of SEAPUNK2020, Whitely returns with more chilled chip bangers to transport you to A Happy Place. Single-handedly resurrecting the seapunk style, this is another sumptuous and summery long player that you won’t want to let pass by. Take it away, Whitely!
credits
released July 30, 2021
PTE082
Artwork by Joshua Whittingham”
