Joie De Vivre - the North End - LP (2010)

Labels: Count Your Lucky Stars – sncl
Review by: Nadia Almashoor

Think about the happiest moment of your life. Think about it again and again and all the possible
versions of that memory. Hold that thought in a crystal glass and proceed to smash it against the
furthest wall. Then watch every glittering shard splinter in every different direction. Stand paralyzed
even if a diamond gets into your eye. You won’t go blind. You were already blinded before.

Whatever you believe in and hold true will one day turn its back against you and fuck you up left right
and all over. Again and again. The North End is a beautiful reminder to acknowledge this painful
existence. It is a reminder that you do not need to make excuses that you are fine. It is a reminder
that even if you are fine and content, there is a dormant volcano in you that should not be denied
and unattended to. That you should not be illusioned and to remember where you are headed to.

Joie De Vivre do not celebrate nostalgia. Instead, they made your past remember you. Once again,
they lived up to their name and succeed to deliver their message strong and crystal clear. They’ve
got the puritans’ and traditionalists’ stamps of approval way before The North End, so there is no
reason for you to linger and contemplate any longer. For in “˜Sundays’ alone they are able to capture the
magic of early Sunny Day Real Estate, Promise Ring, Christie Front Drive, Mineral and Ethel Meserve
all in one go, I really cannot see what else is stopping you.

Don’t hesitate. Don’t look back. And Don’t Forget to Breathe.