Los Angeles – On their third album, No Joy does not attempt anything that has not been done by the myriad “nu-gaze” bands of the last few decades; they just do it better. Yes, the band loves guitar tones that are dripping with distortion; but they make them more aggressive and engaging. The time signatures shift at the bat of an eye; but the chaos on More Faithful is simply more breathtaking and unexpected. At every turn the band showcases their ability to make bizarrely beautiful rock ‘n roll music that is simultaneously aggressive and soothingly sweet.
Jasamine White-Gluz and Laura Lloyd formed the Montreal/Los Angeles-based band in 2009 – the two founders initially worked together via-email, as one was in Quebec and the other California. Though the two eventually settled in Montreal, there is still the heavy influence of Southern California’s crowded pedal-worshiping noise-pop scene. They have opened for indie-rock royalty like Best Coast, Surfer Blood, and La Sera – though No Joy’s sound is quite a bit more abstract than those straightforward pop-rock groups. With the release of More Faithful, it should be about time we start seeing No Joy receive the same level of underground respect that these contemporaries receive.
The album begins with a buzz-saw of guitar riffs, which open up to White-Gluz and Lloyd’s gorgeous vocals being twisted and mangled around each other, their tone ever-so-slightly menacing. After enduring a sweet-and-sour introduction to No Joy, the listener is treated to the pop-oriented first single, “Everything New”. The song begins with an echoing guitar riff that runs up and down the scale; exotic-and-isolated sounding like it was ripped from an ancient Eastern spiritual. By the time it hits its fuzz-driven chorus and chants of “Anything you wanted / Everything new, everything new,” it exposes itself as a very traditionally structured pop song.
The barely noticeable touches that are sprinkled throughout the entire course of More Faithful are what set it apart from recent similarly styled releases; so many details like the pan flute tones and vocal effects in “Hollywood Teeth”, the barely there veins of feedback in “Chalk Snake”, the piano-like guitar tones of “Rude Films”, the calculated chord-raking of “I am an Eye Machine”; nary a song passes by without some audio Easter egg to reward the discerning listener.
“Moon in my Mouth” has a very laid-back, Luscious Jackson-esque vibe in the verses, with a bouncy hammer-on riff that neatly folds up into the compact chorus of “You never really want her / Anything else goes.” After the chorus No Joy adds in breathy tandem vocals and reprises the verse riff, but this time setting it much higher on the fret board, bringing the song full circle.
Meanwhile, “Hollywood Teeth” could have been a huge college radio hit in the early 90’s, right alongside My Bloody Valentine’s “Loomer”. The song has such a wide range of elements twisting and slithering over each other in the mix, it is hard to believe the song barely reaches two minutes.
This album is so excellent, each and every track could be analyzed in depth – unlike many shoegaze albums which just feel like one monolithic haze of distortion and feedback, More Faithful is actually filled with songs, something that so many recent nu-gaze albums have completely failed to accomplish. Despite each song being excellent as a stand-alone, No Joy have also managed to give the album a supreme cohesion. Simply put, after three albums and multiple tours No Joy is a band that is at the top of their game and firing on all cylinders.
No Joy is on tour throughout the month of June. They have shows all over, from the West Coast to the East Coast, and Canada to the UK. Check their Facebook page for dates and tickets.
Photo of No Joy by Allison Staton
Matt Matasci
Latest posts by Matt Matasci (see all)
- The Shelters Perfects Rock and Roll at Bardot - June 30, 2016
- Featured Artist: The Shelters - June 8, 2016
- Andrew Bird Charms Los Angeles with Fiona Apple - May 18, 2016
