Orange based, neo-punk duo, The Garden, released their second album haha on October 9th, 2015. The band recently signed with Epitaph Records in Hollywood, a refreshing change from Burger Records, the DIY label from Fullerton with whom they put out their first slew of releases. Staying true to the spirit of DIY, The Garden are relying on Burger Records for a cassette pressing of this album. Epitaph will produce CDs and LPs for the album, while a digital version will be on iTunes. To promote this album, The Garden have slated a tour that visits venues in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America.

With a vast discography already in their career, it comes as a shock to some that haha is only The Garden’s second full length EP. The Garden has not altogether abandoned their quick, fast-paced delivery, but they have opted to include slightly longer songs than fans are used to. The album includes 17 songs and of these, four have been included on singles previously released by the band. Though the lyrics throughout are consistently surreal, the music is tangible in a way that every word sung by lead singer, Wyatt Shears, is heard with a profound clarity.

The album starts on an eerie note with the altogether cryptic “All Smiles Over Here :)” which focuses on self-expression and independence. Between shouts of the chorus, which the title is derived from, Wyatt chants, “This is my life and this is how I choose to live it/ Take control of your life, stand up straight and shake a hand.”

Besides bass and drums, many songs of the album incorporate electronic backgrounds and synthesizer melodies, allowing more expression and experimentation for the somewhat previously instrument-constrained brothers.

One such example is the song “Cloak.” By utilizing the synthesizer and music creation software, the Shears brothers are able to craft a song that’s edgy, blasé, adrenaline fueled and volatile all at once. Where a normal musician may have to take some time to transition from the verse to the chorus, “Cloak” sees instantaneous changes of tempo and leaps of mood.

However, despite the siblings’ usage of software, they haven’t lost sight of the energy that a driving bass line and intense drumming can inject into a song. “Vexation” demonstrates the twins’ ability to use an old formula for new content. Explaining to Rolling Stone Australia that “Vexation” is meant to be an anti-rape song, Wyatt’s message is made clear through the lyrics “You can’t do so wrong/ And live carefree.”

These lyrics are just a few throughout the whole album that show a deeper and more structured approach to songwriting in contrast to their last LP The Life and Times of a Paperclip.

Overall, haha is an album that showcases the continuously expanding creativity of Fletcher and Wyatt Shears as both they, and The Garden grow in the alternative rock music scene.

haha is available through Epitaph Records, Burger Records and on iTunes.