-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Ambient * Ethereal *
Artist..: No Joy
Album...: More Faithful
GENRE....: Indie
STYLE....: Shoegaze
LABEL....: Mexican Summer SCENE.....: 2015-07-03
BITRATE..: 936 kbps avg STORE.....: 2015-00-00
ENCODER..: FLAC 1.2.1 -8 -V TRACKS....: 11
SIZE.....: 242.6MB SOURCE....: CD
URL..: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Joy
- TRACKLIST
1 Remember Nothing 2:27
2 Everything New 4:07
3 Hollywood Teeth 2:10
4 Moon In My Mouth 4:10
5 Burial In Twos 3:13
6 Corpo Daemon 2:21
7 Bolas 3:24
8 Chalk Snake 3:34
9 Rude Films 3:29
10 I Am An Eye Machine 4:31
11 Judith 2:59
Total Playtime: 36:25
ôRemember Nothingö, the opening track to No JoyÆs third full-length record,
More Faithful, serves to weed out the unwilling. ItÆs a palate cleanser
designed to set the mood and ensure the listener is at full attention. It
doesnÆt preface any of the other songs on the record, but opening with such a
bold and fast track demands focus and gets the heart rate up. Now we may
proceed.
The tone of More Faithful basks in post-apocalyptic sunbathing beauty. The
music is still shoegaze-y and sounds like it belongs on the West Coast, but
resides on a grittier, not-so-pristine beach ù one where post-punk, grunge,
and neo-folk kids keep their happiness close to the fold whilst soaking in
the sun. Jasamine White-Gluz and Laura LloydÆs vocals are sweet and airy but
backed by punchy quick songs that clock in around three or four minutes.
ôBurial in Twosö captures all the noise with boisterous, billowing feedback
and terrifying, never-ending cymbals. On this seamless track, no reverb is
spared.
No JoyÆs label Mexican Summer dropped ôHollywood Teethö as a teaser to this
LP, and it feels like a single or a catchy self-contained party. In contrast
to previous No Joy releases, More Faithful carries distinctive lyrics that
ride along with the music and, as is the case with ôHollywood Teethö,
actually provide direction for the song rather than being buried in the mix.
Still, No JoyÆs lyrics arenÆt at the heart of the songs in terms of content,
and that doesnÆt change on More Faithful, but it does indicate a more
conscious decision to grow the sound of the group and use the voice in a more
instrumental sense.
More Faithful is a genre-bending record with explosive yet concentrated sound
that stays true to No JoyÆs signature shoegaze rock. Getting caught in the
dizzying effects of this particular project most readily mimics the bandÆs
direct but conflicted namesake. ThereÆs joy in dream pop, but where thereÆs
sun, thereÆs shadow. Something is lurking in the dark and wants to rock.
*
I really want to see this band play. According to just about everyone
(Bethany Cosentino, Marnie Stern, Katie Goodman), No Joy's live show is
electrifying. It would likely be screaming loud out of the gate, and I can
see the sound guy fondling about trying to even out the washy sounds that
blast from their Jazzmasters. Incidentally, I find myself inching the volume
up across More Faithful's length. This is shoegaze, and it sucks you in only
as much as you let it. Luckily, 'Moon In My Mouth' will be there to extend a
welcoming hand after the first three tracks have overloaded the EQ spectrum.
No Joy's previous album Wait to Pleasure never got the immersive treatment
from me. I stuck it on a 2013 playlist, and only heard it in passing. The
band don't operate like this. You have to turn it up, relax, and be patient.
I generally get upset when people don't move their butts during a show, but
these new songs give everyone a pass. 'Rude Films' has a bouncy groove worthy
of Tame Impala, but the overarching style of arresting sonic layering usurps
dancehall mobility. The band do stay melodic despite this, and it's not No
Wave music. There's pop sensibility to the voice of Jasamine White-Gluz
despite the fact that I have to reach with my ears to discern lyrics. On
'Corpo Daemon', a song that breaks up the haze for a stellar drum
performance, the chorus unravels nicely as White-Gluz windingly sings "in the
way/in the way." She could be saying "either way," but I feel like the
specifics here are unimportant.
That being said, the ambiguity in the words adds mystery. Usually I get
excited to hear personal stories come through the mix, but More Faithful
gives me chills even when I can barely hear White-Gluz's rhetoric. Highlight
'Chalk Snake' reveals a quick lyric on the choruses before the drums step out
of the time signature to quell ordinary pop sentiment. These percussive jolts
are backed by a phenomenally employed drum machine; I'm so enveloped that I
forget to decode anything apart from the Trent Reznor-inspired piano line
that signals the song's coda and eventual end.
These songs are towards the middle of the album, which is a bit easier to
digest than the first trio of tracks on the album. 'Remember Nothing' opens
with a bang which, despite its evident intentionality, comes off as an aural
attack. 'Everything New' is a little more inviting with koto-like guitar
tones that make me wish it was the opener. The following 'Hollywood Teeth'
serves more to clear the palette before the aforementioned 'Moon' pulls each
instrument together in a peaceful collection. There's a slow pulse despite a
morphing and puzzling beat that adds more hypnotic edge than louder moments
elsewhere. The guitar arpeggios expand the psychedelic spiral, but only
arrive for a brief moment around the one-minute mark. When they return to
drag the song away, I can feel guitarist Laura Lloyd recognising how
exquisite and teasing the line is.
'Judith' closes More Faithful with pummelling triplet kick tones and more
unintelligible lyrics in a rather unceremonious fashion. No Joy are
uncompromising to this end. If each of these eleven songs didn't deviate from
their affective formula until now, there's not much reason to change it up. I
do wish I could hear more lyrics and emotional sentiment, but I'm also
smiling about White-Gluz's stubbornness as she cares more for her voice as an
instrument (Admittedly, I wish there was more delay on the vocal track on
'Burial in Twos').
I'm not floored by every song here, but it's admirable how well each element
is strung together; loose ends and rainy atmospheres included. What's more
respectable is how non-traditional instrumentation is employed to the same
purposes as a fuzz pedal. There's electronic drums that dominate 'Chalk
Snake', but they're not distracting or harshly staccato. Even the sparse
selection of piano and synth lines fail to detract from this post-chillwave
ether. I still feel bad for No Joy's sound guy. But, if the tech can pull it
off, their performances could be twice as gorgeous as the fleetingly
beautiful moments that define this album.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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