What is happiness? Where is it? Why does life seem to make it so hard to find? Uncle Ears poses these questions and more on “Operation Happiness” by Forren, an AI project with two previous LP’s: Forren and Collapsing Color Wheel.
Are they pop? Dance? Rock? Polka in disguise? Well…yes.
Uncle put Forren together originally as an experiment in techno realism. Quickly though the lyrics were often too complex and the themes too developed for a thumping soundtrack style. There is some of that in ‘Operation,’ but not as much as in the debut LP.
Further, Forren took style progress to a new level from ‘Color Wheel’ to ‘Operation.’ Uncle’s lyrics were crisper, developed longer stories, and let the group sprawl between many different tempos and styles.
There are thematic threads running all through ‘Operation Happiness’ though. Gender indentity, drag queens, finding peace in simple pleasures, contemplating mortality, finding the strength to stand up to power.
Forren could have existed anywhere in the last 25 years when it comes to styles that influence their sound. In the end they are a contemporary listen.
Uncle Ears 
Leave a comment