![coyhhappyascanbe [mp3] Cut Off Your Hands // Happy As Can Be (EP)](http://tympanogram.com/files/coyhhappyascanbe.jpg "[mp3] Cut Off Your Hands // Happy As Can Be (EP)")
After a few months of writing for Tympanogram I have had the chance to listen to tons of EPs, which is something that I normally would have avoided prior. Really though, they are a great way to be introduced to a bunch of new bands that I probably wouldn’t have discovered on my own. It’s a lot easier and more palatable, it seems, to put out a quick sampling than it might be to construct a full album’s worth of material. That may all seem obvious, but I really see listening to EPs as a way to get a more broad overview of what is going on that I am probably missing. New Zealand’s Cut Off Your Hands has gotten my attention with a varied set of tracks on their “Happy As Can Be” EP. The release dates back to 2008, but is being given away by the band (at NoiseTrade) in order to promote their upcoming full-length album. It’s also nice that the EP is named as such without a hint of irony. It’s getting harder and harder these days to figure out if bands are sincere or not.
The EP begins with a steady stream of excitable guitars that chip away in constant eighth notes at a quick tempo. “You Still Love Me” features a gently sung melody over top of a swirl of guitars. That exuberance isn’t lost throughout the course of the release. Cut off Your Hands seems to have captured an excitement with their music that doesn’t attempt to overstep its bounds. Some of the songs verge on the very line between singer/songwriter pop tunes but are a little more guitar driven than one would expect.
The song “Nostalgia” calls to mind the aura captured on the first Peter, Bjorn and John album, with a slow burn of guitars and background effects growing as the vocals remain steady and unfazed. Though the reverb heavy tremolod guitar line that mimics the vocal line in a bright warble also hints at a 60′s vibe.
“Happy as Can Be” is the real stand out track on the EP. It comes bounding through the speakers with galloping drums, crashing cymbals and orchestra bells. All those elements combine to form a really over the top sound. It may possibly be a bit too much, but the sound is really effective and exciting.
[mp3] Cut Off Your Hands // Happy As Can Be
The band’s atmospherics remind me of Broken Social Scene in some ways. The way that the guitars sound larger than life yet they still try to expand in ways beyond their means. Take that sound and mix it with a strong singer/songwritery vibe and you are pretty close at describing the sounds captured on this EP. Take some time to listen to this one and gear up for new material coming very soon.
22. Cut Off Your Hands – You & I 
21. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon
Somewhat surprisingly for a blog proprietor, I went through a brief spell where I didn’t listen to a great deal of music. I think it was perhaps due to being inundated with a wealth of new music via our email and not having the time nor will to listen to it all, so I spent my time doing various other things. As I said this spell lasted only a brief time and when I moved past it I listened to a lot of newer stuff in addition to giving some other previously owned music a new chance. My iTunes play counts have gone up exponentially in the past few weeks, and these tracks below are just a few of the very many that have seen a large bump in number of times played. In terms of the Cut Off Your Hands song, we saw them with Ra Ra Riot in March and I’ve had the song for I don’t even know how long. But I came back to it, and now their 
