Reviews of 16 Seconds Happy
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BBC Manchester Introducing
16 seconds happy
“Any band able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Magic Arm are going to be well worth a listen, so it’s not surprising to find that My Side Of The Mountain are a fine band. What is a little more startling is just how fine they are - their electro-folk pop is full of shining gems, all destined to steal your heart and make you believe you could cheerfully drown in their beautiful brilliance.”
By Chris Long
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www.manchestermusic.co.uk
16 SECONDS HAPPY * demo of the week * MMMM
“My Side Of The Mountain always seem to serve up something rather special and from their demos and In The City gig from last year, a new collection of recordings is certainly welcome. “16 Seconds Happy” is another combination of synth sounds and weighty live drums and bass; a sound that gives My Side Of The Mountain an organically fresh perspective. It has the premise of Gary Numan flirting with Gomez or Kraftwerk lolling with acoustic beach bums in Santa Barbara. It’s that curious a mix; odd but lovely and rather entrancing and enchanting.
“Take On The Weather” is another excuse for the band to come up with a happy go lucky riff, which they then pour over a serious spread of organ driven chords. The vocals are lightly spaced and supported by subtle harmonies.
“Stick Around” has a little bit more of the same, but is maybe the lightest song on here with those superbly recorded (in-a-room-next-door) drums and the twinkle of sparkling chords melting into the sway of keyboards. A workmanlike charm offensive with stunning results.”
By JA
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Planet Sound
16 Seconds Happy 8/10
“With a sway of Elvis Costello about them, this Derbyshire trio are doing something right. Their brand of happy, gentle pop is on the button of the current twee revival, having also performed as Magic Arm's backing band. Take On The Weather is a particularly lovely ode to relationships. An album should be a delight.”
John Earls
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Organ Art
16 Seconds Happy DEMO OF THE WEEK
“Mellow reflective quiet Casiotone flavoured electronic pop and melancholic melodica and walks by rivers and dancing around pleasing sunsets and lovely notes and just three friends enjoying making hand-crafted alternative flavoured uplifting restrained refined indie music.”
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Sandman
16 seconds happy
“My Side of the Mountain have recently played as Magic Arm's backing band, and now return with this collection of three new songs which clearly show why they were chosen for this role. Their songs are tranquil and life affirming. They remind us that there is still good left in this troubled world of ours; they help us to forget what is was we were worrying about before we pressed 'Play'.
'16 Seconds Happy' uses simple piano chords, layered with subtle synthesisers and drums, plus xylophones, triangles and shakers: all of those instruments of wonderment during our adolescent introduction to music. It is a song of innocent feelings such as doubt and insecurity during adulthood, and the sound mirrors this perfectly.
Both 'Take on the Weather' and 'Stick Around' speaks of similar issues, with an overall theme on the recording of not wanting to complicate life any more than necessary. All three songs float by as you listen to them, which is a true credit to the bands musicianship. They are well crafted, and it is clear a lot of care and attention has gone into them.
This is a wonderful E.P. which whets the appetite for what will hopefully be a beautiful album in the near future.”
By Stuart Holmes
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Losing Today
16 Seconds Happy
“Ridiculously cute and dinky, the playfully light and dippy love noted electronics and pastoral florets of My Side of the Mountain may well just be the cup of tuneful tea to lift any fading gloom brought on by the oncoming chill of autumns hand. The three friends based between Derbyshire and Manchester have already been causing a quiet stir among the undergrounds chattering classes having to date sculptured two releases in the shape of ’bad wizard’ and ’lost pilot’ both of which we’ll endeavour to track down in the coming weeks.
For now though ’16 seconds happy’ features three beautiful buttercups of sound that appear to assume a tingling resonance and a warmth filled softly glowed radiance all lazily bathed in a honeycombed carefree dizziness. Enough to make your head pop with their teasingly affectionate woodland charm, ’16 seconds happy’ throws open the crooked doors of its secret hide away den to invite you into a secret idyllic world far far away from the maddening throng of commercialism, band wagon jumping and deplorable favour buying advertising spaces. Sleepy headed and shyly retiring it slowly uncoils, stretches and yawns to blossom from its demurring peek-a-boo like frailness into a gliding slice of glassy eyed lunar pop that instantly recalls a more upbeat inclined Swimmer One festooned with sparse Kraftwerk-ian signatures.
With its hymnal textures and delicate west coast murmuring turns of melodic phrase ’take on the weather’ is a sumptuously unassuming treasure that easily freefalls in to rich unguarded pop tapestry of the Doleful Lions as though on this occasion mellowed and sprinkled with magic dust by those loveable rogues Shady Bard yet as tasty as it might appear seemingly falls to wayside at the appearance of the parting ’stick around’. An absolute diamond of life affirming shy eyed loveliness, caressing harmonies, lazily woven west coast motifs and peppercorns of light headed breezes of rustic dialects all converging longingly to decorate your listening space with the kind of breathless swoon that was once the unsurpassable remit of the Earlies.
A must have release unless we are very much mistaken - and we’re not..”
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