The Joy Formidable's debut is no forced entry; but they are breaking down doors one by one--and it is an emotional high. The group's first full-length album, The Big Roar, has been mastered to deliver a full one-two punch. You can hear a definite difference in the sound quality from Joy Formidable's first EP (A Balloon Called Moaning) which also holds a handful of the diverse current material available by the group, on this full length. However, the newer versions of the material's raw, and full sound, checks the older (and, more, 'demo') versions of their songs at the door, literally. For the album's first track, "The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie" we hear what sound like balloons popping: is this the sound of leaving their past behind for a better, fuller, and fresh-faced start? Ritzy Bryan IS "rock's new heroine" (proclaimed by The NME) by being twice the measure of what every stage goddess should possess only not from time to time: but all at once. This is: raw talent, coupled with the ability to ROAR, channeled through an absolutely passionate stage presence. {review}
On "The Big Roar": the group hits the new material so hard that when the first track fuzzes out into radio nowhere, you get slammed back by the ferocity of track number two; "The Magnifying Glass". The result of this is an album that has a bit of 'hunt and chase' happening, read: a driving rhythm, and passionate songwriting skill, that bridges the listener easily from song to song as well. The group could easily stand somewhere between mid-to-late '90s band Scheer, early Catherine Wheel, and the undercurrents of a band such as Muse, i.e. showing off often VERY heavy, almost slick, hard rock overtones; a sound that you can't help but want to shake your fist in the air to, and openly swoon over. This does not, however, protect Joy Formidable from not being balladeers from time to time--as in the quiet, and simple power, of the track "Llaw = Wall", which we love. Ritzy gives the rest of the band a chance to shine here, and the album a chance to wind down, and sink in. And with this 'wind down' on the repeated verse of final track, "The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade" (another closely held EP memory), we can definitely say that we are "happy for you", The Joy Formidable. Fierce work, on a striking debut, that definitely begins and ends with a 'Big Roar.'
See TJF (The Joy Formidable) tonight, Wednesday March 30th, with The Lonely Forest, and Mona, at Johnny Brenda's.
The Big Roar, tracklisting:
1. The Everchanging Spectrum Of A Lie (prev. on ABCM EP)
2. The Magnifying Glass
3. I Don't Want To See You Like This
4. Austere (prev. on ABCM EP)
5. A Heavy Abacus
6. Winning
7. Buoy
8. Maruyama
9. Cradle (prev. on ABCM EP)
10. Llaw = Wall
11. Chapter 2
12. The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade (prev. on ABCM EP)
The Joy Formidable - band site / black bell records / canvasback / myspace
One of my favourite bands of 2011, thanks for featuring them here.
canvas art prints
Posted by: J Archer | September 16, 2011 at 08:23 AM