The Joy Formidable
Back in February, I first mentioned my enjoyment of a band I had recently discovered: The Joy Formidable. After the UK-based band’s album, A Balloon Called Moaning, was released in the US, I waited a month or so before buying it. Since, the CD has been sitting face-up on my desk waiting to be opened.
Having heard a number of tracks – most notably “The Last Drop” and “Austere” – for the last few months the band’s sound wasn’t an unknown; but until this morning I hadn’t given the eight-track album a full listen.
If you haven’t heard the band, I’ll give you a quick once-over. The band has been together since 2007 and features the vocals of Ritzy Bryan (also the guitarist) with Rhydian Dafydd on bass and Justin Stahley Matt Thomas on drums. Their sound in a mix of 1990′s female lead-vocal-based bands like Belly and Lush mixed with the energy found in Tokyo Police Club’s early work.
Now four listens into A Balloon Called Moaning I am certain of one thing: despite my concern that the album could become redundant, it has not. This pleases me a great deal. Although many of the tracks to follow a similar tempo and Dafydd’s vocal style is similar to that of The Primitives, it kept my head nodding and air drums flailing.
This year has seen its fair share of great releases (Surfer Blood, Local Natives, Beach House, etc.) and while The Joy Formidable’s album (which came out in the UK in 2009) isn’t of that class it is a strong release. With another release forthcoming later this year, the bar of expectation has been set. It will be interesting to see where the band goes from here.
Matt Thomas is now the drummer.