Cuppa Chaos is an amalgamation of feel-good vibes from funk rockers Trap Happy. The Kolkata-based band’s six-track EP boasts of a groovy sound that’s suited not just for streaming but also live performances. The collective states that their inspirations include rock outfits like Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Jamiroquai. The inspiration seems evident with each track’s surreal songwriting, occasionally energetic vocals and guitaring, and some really catchy basslines.
While the opening song Alien Doppelganger and the interlude High seem to be the standout tracks from Cuppa Chaos, even though the frantically pleasant energy is carried throughout the entire set of songs. In terms of lyrics, the themes of the songs might be different but overall, they do carry similar elements. This makes for effortlessly easy listening for viewers. While it is ideal for anyone to hear an EP in the sequence of songs as the artist intended, but one can make an exception here.
However, despite the cheeriness, the lyrics do tend to get deep and introspective when necessary (again much like their inspirations). For instance, Alien Doppelganger evokes a dark side within all of us. It seems that the so-called doppelganger is the other side of our personality that we mostly tend to keep within ourselves. But then at the same time, there’s a song like Mushy that closes the EP. Mushy tend to attack or romanticise all the mushy, intimate couples around us.
Themes around recreational ‘trips’ are explored in the self-explanatory Laced and Trippin. Funnily, the same themes don’t cover the track titled High. Instead, High is an upbeat song (with guitaring reminiscent of disco anthems from the 80s) about just grooving freely and feeling oneself on the dance floor.
Kasturi Biswas proves to be a great performer with a nonchalant charm as she serves as the lead vocalist of Trap Happy. Unmesh Chakraborty’s bass is definitely a highlight of the tracklist, complemented well with Jit Bhunia’s guitars and Sunit Sikdar’s drums. Cuppa Chaos despite all its high-adrenaline power does fall flat here and there, as the songs might sound a teeny bit monotonous at times. While Biswas has great control over her vocals, her style of singing along with the funk instrumentation does tend to get a bit similar with every passing song.
Still, the EP is definitely not an exhaustive trip; it is a fun-filled journey of diverse themes and a much-needed throwback to some nostalgic genres and bands. The timing also seems perfect as there are no similar new-age funk acts (barring the likes of a few bands like Delhi-based KAPOW). With Cuppa Chaos, Trap Happy does offer great potential for their future discography.
Verdict: Surreal songwriting and a groovy ‘throwback’ vibe grace this catchy set of six diverse songs.
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