Album Review: No Joy - Ghost Blonde

With the rising prominence of revivalist musicians in modern music therein lies a question: will future musicians be forced to revive the revivalists? Needless to say, Montreal two-piece No Joy take upon the feel of a 90s shoegaze revival act, yet there is still much to be digressed from their rough and ready debut LP, Ghost Blonde. Formed in 2009 via a cross-continental partnership between songwriters Laura Lloyd and Jasmine White-Glutz, No Joy have since found their into the American lo-fi crowd amongst the likes of Wavves and Best Coast, and it is easy to see why going on their debut release.

The duo implements minimal instrumentation to maximum effect on Ghost Blonde, with a great wall of vocals, guitars and drums all coinciding to create a fuzzed out afterglow throughout the album. Though where their contemporaries may choose a more direct pop route to engage their listeners, No Joy decidedly take a more darker undertone towards their compositions, perhaps sacrificing the fun in their music for more thought-provoking moments. The band in this case find themselves in a catch 22 situation, as the style of music itself creates a great vibrancy that can be overwrought when murkier inflections are introduced into the mix.

Ghost Blonde does contain some fantastic glimpses of the band’s capabilities. Heedless is the stand-out track on the album, a real ear-catcher that strikes on the first listen mainly due to the path taken with the guitar lines which here sound more melodic and laid-back, in the same vein as the light-infused grunge that encapsulated the indie sound of the 90s. Hawaii implements a garage-rock sound that is tinged with surf elements from the 60s and 70s and is largely cymbal heavy in the percussion stakes, proving another worthy moment on Ghost Blonde. Yet at times the duo do lack direction and lose the promise and spark that their better songs present. Indigo Child is a melancholy change from the fast-paced instances felt throughout the album, but it just takes too long to ignite, and the band allows the listener to lose interest in the song, a cardinal sin in this case. The title track closes the album in very much the same way; as the only track on the album to breach the six minute mark, it is simply too long, and this style of music is not the kind that thrives on long drawn out tracks, which often become repetitive and fail to capture the essence of its nature.

No Joy have provided a largely no-holds barred debut in Ghost Blonde, yet their ambition never really pays off over its duration. They would serve much purpose in enveloping the music of their contemporaries and look to build on the edginess of their sound, which at times shows a great deal of promise. The lo-fi revivalist scene is reaching greater boundaries, and No Joy are exemplary of this. With the ground that they have made on Ghost Blonde, the evidence points to a successful follow-up if they can incorporate a few more aspects into their sound that will distance them from the pack.

Album Review: Friendly Fires - Pala

For this review, I decided to go back and listen to Friendly Fires' debut self-titled album as a predecessor to their follow-up effort, Pala. I was reminded of what a solid debut album it was, packed with dance-floor fillers that had the kids dancing for the most part of the last 3 years or so. Couple that with the deluxe edition of the album, which included the band’s break-out single Kiss Of Life, and you have a band that is raw and highly talented, yet largely symptomatic of the British indie scene which unfortunately, resonates around media misrepresentations and enigmas that provide bands with levels of hype often hard to deal with in an artist's early stages.

Thankfully, as the first notes of Live Those Days Tonight ring out at the beginning of Pala, Friendly Fires announce themselves as a completely different beast in 2011. In fact, they immediately strike the perfect balance between keeping their devoted fans pleased while allowing new ones into their world simultaneously. It is a fantastic album opener, with the cowbells and whistles of their debut making way for shimmering 80s synths, sharp melodies and well-executed guitar lines that maintain their original euphoria albeit in a far more mature manner. Acclaimed British producer Paul Epworth, who had previously reworked some of the band’s more successful tracks including Jump In The Pool, Skeleton Boy, and Kiss Of Life, took control of Pala. In comparison to the band’s first full-length where they had creative control over all but one track, Epworth’s inclusion clearly provides the band with a greater sense of direction on Pala, producing a feel that never negates or neglects the listener but rather keeps them involved in the sound as a result of impeccable mixing and instrumentation.

The overall feel is summery; Hawaiian Air will sum this up for you in an instant with its longwinded siren-like synth strikes and reflective lyricism courtesy of eccentric lead singer Ed McFarlane. Another track that jumps out of Pala is Blue Cassette; the song generally moves along as an observational tale delivered with McFarlane’s typical English swagger in the slower moments, then becomes a dynamic journey through electronic samples representative of the music scene’s recent chillwave exploration, with the addition of thumping rhythms for good measure. It is hard not to feel engaged by what is going on here, as track after track you are lured into some sort of wonder world that keeps on giving. Whether it’s the slow burning title track that swims along elegantly, the insatiable feel of Running Away which demonstrates the band’s forebearing influences, or the demanding hip-hop feel of Show Me Lights, Friendly Fires indicate that they are ready to take their sound to levels it seemed were critically unbeatable on their debut long-player.

However vibrant this album comes across, there is still a sense of yearning in McFarlane’s lyricism. Where at times it is incredibly exploratory and escapist in nature, a deeper undercurrent can be found just as frequently throughout Pala. True Love is a classic example; the song tricks you with its funky bass lines and light chromatic feel, yet McFarlane’s vocal becomes desperate and listless upon further examination. The same can be said for Pull Me Back To Earth, as the title is harmoniously repeated amongst another well-produced soundscape, further demonstrating how far the 3-piece have come in their time out of the limelight. Pala’s blaze of glory is Hurting, a slow disco jam that would have been a mere blip on their previous album’s radar. The maturity shown in the band’s delivery here provides a genuine crossroad between today’s music and that of yesteryear, displaying everything which is good about Pala that demands it be repeated.

Friendly Fires have come of age and knuckled down in 2011. That is what can be taken from Pala on the whole. But their more serious attitude doesn’t necessarily reflect a change in musical inclinations, with their sound remaining easily danceable in conjunction with an increased level of refinement. There are many times on Pala where you have to listen hard, as there is a lot going into creating the atmospheres that Friendly Fires thrive on. This would largely be a result of Epworth’s heightened production influence which has allowed the band to remove the perceived novelty from their work and replace it with a more genuine sentiment. Although their 2008 release contained many unforgettable tracks, it feels like on Pala, the more memorable moments here hold greater personal meaning. It appears as though Friendly Fires will be remembered more so for this pop gem than anything else they have produced thus far.