The Joy Formidable
The Big Roar
Atlantic Records/Canvasback Music [2011]
Right from the opening track, “The Everchanging Spectrum Of A Lie”, you get a solid 7:45 complex song that captures the sonic experience you are in for on The Joy Formidable’s debut full length record. Exploding guitars, pounding drums and walls of sounds are contained all within this first track but stylistically nothing changes as the group condenses all of these moments into the 2:20 follow up “The Magnifying Glass”.
With the siren vocals of Ritzy Bryan driving this vehicle, The Joy Formidable wrap the music around her delivery. This pushes the vocals out front, as all musical chaos is unleashed in the backdrop. The Welsh trio make a much bigger wave of sound then you might think, given their numbers, but The Joy Formidable bring a 110% on each track. With that said, The Big Roar may not be the memorable grand opus that the band potentially was going for but it does highlight their musical passion, pop undertones and dedication to their art.
The Joy Formidable really do sound unique for 2011 and provide plenty of moments throughout The Big Roar which will not only have you coming back but already looking forward to what they do next!
Key Tracks: “Austere” / “Whirring” / “I Don’t Want To See You Like This”
Artists With Similar Fire: My Bloody Valentine / Lush / Arcade Fire
The Joy Formidable Website
The Joy Formidable Facebook
Atlantic Records
Canvasback Music
-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony
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