Bittersweet tunes
Those familiar with Joie De Vivre's output will not be surprised that the sound on their latest LP doesn't differ greatly in style and mood from previous releases but then they will also not be disappointed to hear that either, as their lush indie/emo sound is always a pleasure to listen to.
This is a short but extremely sweet (or perhaps that should be bittersweet) record - the tracks never outstay their welcome, zipping by in a haze of fuzzy guitar, muted blasts of brass and introspective lyrics. Lyrically this record is all about growing up - about moving into your late 20s still confused and with that growing feeling of panic that you haven't achieved anything yet; lines like "don't you want to be something better than what we are" tell you all you need to know about the tone of the album - it's scared to be optimistic but the glass half empty tone is beautifully offset by the emotive vocal delivery (including some lovely female harmonising), and ably backed by perky, fiddly riffs and some cracking melodies.
Opener At Least I Tried for example is typical of the record's upbeat melodies and lush instrumentation and also of its lyrical tone, the preoccupation with 'getting older' pervades but that doesn't make it any less addictive - tambourine jangles, vocals and brass soar and the guitar creates a warm fuzzy layer for it all to rest on; just lovely. That track may be typical of the album's style and tone overall but that just means that it's an easy record to listen to and also one that's hard to put down, so once it hooks you in it will very quickly become a constant friend.