No Joy
More Faithful (Arts & Crafts)
Montreal’s No Joy have returned with a dazzling explosion of doom and dream pop in the form of More Faithful, their most flourishing, intense release to date.
Working with producer/musician Jorge Elbrecht, they recorded the 11 tracks in both Brooklyn and an old farmhouse in Costa Rica. The exquisite voice of Jasamine White-Gluz remains predominant here, sounding like something between Kim Deal and a bouquet of sunbeams. In “Everything New”, arguably the most pop construction on Faithful, White-Gluz sings “anything you wanted” over shoe-gaze swagger, compliments of guitarist Laura Lloyd. It could easily be a heavenly chant from the early ‘90s. “Hollywood Teeth” takes traditional song structure and puts it through a distortion pedal, à la Dum Dum Girls or Frankie Rose. “Burial in Twos” is a wonderful, meditative new wave experience that could easily find its place on a Creation Records compilation circa 1985.
A press release draws attention to the fact that the band approached their creative process in a more structured, regimented way. Whatever they are doing, it’s working. More Faithful is their most focused, expansive and satisfying album yet. Like seeing a Costa Rican sunset through distorted sunglasses.
All ratings out of five
Rating: ★★★★
