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Popstrangers: Happy Accidents EP

Popstrangers channel the spirits of post-punk purgatory while dabbling in the prophetic on this EP, producing a sound that is both nostalgic and futuristic. Recorded in one day at Mt. Eden studio The Lab, mixed by Thomas Healy, and mastered by Dale Cotton, ‘Happy Accidents’ captures the essence of live music in its most naked and honest condition. Guitars are soaked in haunting reverb, drums are thrashed with malevolent intent and Joel Flyger’s lethargic vocals weave through the noise like a disenchanted poet. Lyrically the EP deals with the theme of friendship, both good and bad, and the eternal search for fulfilment in life. The idea is summarised optimistically in the almost pop-melodic title track – ‘Troubled minds know what to do, Happy accidents come true’. Darker, unsettling grunge aggression follows via Your Environment and Arrest Your Body, while it returns to a more introspective down-tempo Avenue, and the soothing exit music of There There. ‘Happy Accidents’ is an uncharacteristically coherent and mature EP for a band still in the early stages of their evolution, and conjures a great sense of anticipation for future releases.

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