Like much of the blog community, I followed one of the scattered links to NME’s offering of the Joy Formidable’s new album on Saturday. And what a sweet Valentine’s gift it was! The Joy Formidable’s debut album is a rush; a precise mix of keyboards and distortion. The opening track, “The Greatest light is the Greatest shade” starts with a brief, half muffled recording, like someone hadn’t quite figured out the mixing board. But, with a switch flicked, it sets off on a dreamy, ethereal track, plodding at times while racing at others, as if the band was still trying to set its bearings. By the third track, Austere, they’ve definitely opted for the fast life. Which is interesting, given the song’s history – an early version of the song was released in accompaniment to a video that’s probably NSFW. Racy, indeed.
The entire album is available for free, but I do recommend picking it up when it’s available over here.
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