Labels: Count Your Lucky Stars
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Being that we are buried under an avalanche of bands taking influence from all the bands I was getting into 10 years ago, it’s always a treat to hear one that doesn’t just faithfully imitate, rather they borrow, reconstruct and develop their own sound. This 7 track album from Joie de Vivre is pretty much the perfect embodiment of a long lost sound, yet you can’t listen to each song on here and say accuse them of being a tribute act. Certainly, the miserable, downbeat vibe that they populate each song with is rather Mineral / 2nd LP Sunny Day Real Estate-esque, and the sometimes beefy melodic drive fits in with perhaps Benton Falls, but each song is crafted lovingly and with a fresh sound that doesn’t sound like it was one of the many unmemorable tracks from say, Emo Diaries 4. From the first twinkly notes of “Magnet” you know you are going to be in for a special treat. Most of the songs, as befits the style, are longer, drawn out affairs. “Sundays” is impeccable, gently building up with guitars jangling supremely then firing into a heftier chorus. It’s a simple thing, with the louder guitar taking the simpler path whilst the quieter one is buried underneath to tie you up in knots with it’s hidden beauty. Get your headphones on to make the best hearing of this aspect of the band. The vocals are slightly frail and whiney at times, but you’ve come to expect that kind of thing from music such as this. The guy can really belt it out though when the need arises. The six minutes of “Handshakes” is equally well spent, when the guitar gently nudges into earshot “This whole week’s been wasted…”, and you’re in for a treat. Super song. It builds and builds and builds, piling into over the top outbursts and the gorgeous repetition of the guitars. These guys know what it’s all about.
And there you have it – this EP deserves to sit alongside your Empire! Empire! and Arrows stuff of recent times, as well as the classics of yore. I urge you to give these guys a listen if you are at all interested in this maligned genre.