One of the most fun and exhilarating rock albums of all time, lightning-in-a-bottle stuff that I don’t think any band (including the joy formidable themselves) have really replicated since
Love this song! I always interpreted it as someone struggling with simmering, unspoken feelings, unable to find the will or the perfect words to express themselves the way they want to, often stuck mentally rehearsing conversations at night to no avail, and suffering in that routine that has them constantly a bit off kilter and disconnected. And that failure frustrates them (becoming one more thing that simmers unexpressed and you can feel the soundscape's walls, which I think may be representative of that desire for control over this), and they sit in that tangled mess of frustration and unspoken feelings until near the end of the second half, where they've reached their limits and it starts boiling over, unable to pull themselves back from the precipice. And they're just not in control, it's out there, it's overwhelming and stressful being thrown headfirst into the unknown, and they can only hope that this time it'll progress towards greater clarity and connection in a way they weren't capable of before. and I really like how the lyrics provide context, but the music really tells the tale, at least in my perception. I do like your take on it too, it makes a lot of sense, the growing separation through time
Been binging your videos for the past 2 days. This is one of my favorite bands. They have such great slow accelerations. You gotta listen to their track "Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie"
This was a great disection of this song i may well end up watching more from your channel (I am pretty sure i have watched a few some time ago as well). There are not many doing reactions the The Joy Formidable so it was cool to see. First time i heard this was just turning on the radio in the car and coming in somewhere around 3-4 minutes in, hearing this crescendo and thinking there is nowhere more to go, then as you say, they do it anyway. Finding out later that it was a 3 piece band from Wales and there is a somewhat whistful yet upbeat song at the start sung by a welsh woman was a suprise. Ended up buying the album and since several that follow. You might thing with a 4+ minute coda like that this would be an album closer but they have a few on the Big Roar that feel like closers in that respect, including the opening track (Everchangibg spectrum of a lie), and Whirring is in the middle. The album is one for the big sound and i love the brooding Buoy, and The greatest light is the greatest shade which is the album closer. That said, i think some of my favorites are on the album that followed, wolfs law, with the relatively brief Bats, and lengthy Leopard and the lung, and also Maw Maw song makes me smile too - it's a bit cringy, subtle like a brick and epic. I also really quite enjoy the softer ones on their awkward 3rd album (The brook, Underneath the Petal, and Running hands with the night), an album where i feel the songs that are more experimental hit better than the ones that are closer to their more traditional sound. Still playing and touring and while it's been a few years since I saw them live, they were worth seeing then and i have no doubt are still now and their most recent album Into the blue is a solid offering. When live I also like how the 3 are lined up acoss the stage so the drummer is front right with his kit facing towards the Ritzy (singer & guitars) somewhat placing all 3 on sort of an equal footing (though lets be honest here, Ritzy is the star, a real performer). Anyway, i really enjoyed watching this and hope you did check out that first album or a few more of their tracks.
TJF has always struck me as having one of the most satisfyingly accurate band names I've ever encountered. Their sound doesn't tickle the same part of my brain as that of a band like Snarky Puppy, but rather the part that craves something ear-blastingly freeing that few other bands have managed to capture. It's like the rush of a gale through the canopy of a forest on a sunny day. Granted, they have other tracks that are more lyrically developed than this, but I suppose it's so enduring among us fans because of - among other reasons, surely - how well it sums up the ethos that pervades their work.
Didn't have high expectations when this started--too repetitive and vocals straight out of The New Pornographers--but I was very pleasantly surprised at how it evolved. Kinda ended up as an indie rock meets shoegazy-post aesthetic, and I really dug that epic climax. Looks like another band to add to the list.
![Kodak Black - Sharp Vibes [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oEV0OoLJeIs/mqdefault.jpg)
One of the most fun and exhilarating rock albums of all time, lightning-in-a-bottle stuff that I don’t think any band (including the joy formidable themselves) have really replicated since
Love this song! I always interpreted it as someone struggling with simmering, unspoken feelings, unable to find the will or the perfect words to express themselves the way they want to, often stuck mentally rehearsing conversations at night to no avail, and suffering in that routine that has them constantly a bit off kilter and disconnected. And that failure frustrates them (becoming one more thing that simmers unexpressed and you can feel the soundscape's walls, which I think may be representative of that desire for control over this), and they sit in that tangled mess of frustration and unspoken feelings until near the end of the second half, where they've reached their limits and it starts boiling over, unable to pull themselves back from the precipice. And they're just not in control, it's out there, it's overwhelming and stressful being thrown headfirst into the unknown, and they can only hope that this time it'll progress towards greater clarity and connection in a way they weren't capable of before. and I really like how the lyrics provide context, but the music really tells the tale, at least in my perception.
I do like your take on it too, it makes a lot of sense, the growing separation through time
Been binging your videos for the past 2 days. This is one of my favorite bands. They have such great slow accelerations. You gotta listen to their track "Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie"
Keep the Indie Rock reactions coming, Bryan!
It’s the reason I keep circling back to your Channel 👍🏻
This was a great disection of this song i may well end up watching more from your channel (I am pretty sure i have watched a few some time ago as well). There are not many doing reactions the The Joy Formidable so it was cool to see.
First time i heard this was just turning on the radio in the car and coming in somewhere around 3-4 minutes in, hearing this crescendo and thinking there is nowhere more to go, then as you say, they do it anyway. Finding out later that it was a 3 piece band from Wales and there is a somewhat whistful yet upbeat song at the start sung by a welsh woman was a suprise.
Ended up buying the album and since several that follow. You might thing with a 4+ minute coda like that this would be an album closer but they have a few on the Big Roar that feel like closers in that respect, including the opening track (Everchangibg spectrum of a lie), and Whirring is in the middle. The album is one for the big sound and i love the brooding Buoy, and The greatest light is the greatest shade which is the album closer.
That said, i think some of my favorites are on the album that followed, wolfs law, with the relatively brief Bats, and lengthy Leopard and the lung, and also Maw Maw song makes me smile too - it's a bit cringy, subtle like a brick and epic.
I also really quite enjoy the softer ones on their awkward 3rd album (The brook, Underneath the Petal, and Running hands with the night), an album where i feel the songs that are more experimental hit better than the ones that are closer to their more traditional sound.
Still playing and touring and while it's been a few years since I saw them live, they were worth seeing then and i have no doubt are still now and their most recent album Into the blue is a solid offering. When live I also like how the 3 are lined up acoss the stage so the drummer is front right with his kit facing towards the Ritzy (singer & guitars) somewhat placing all 3 on sort of an equal footing (though lets be honest here, Ritzy is the star, a real performer).
Anyway, i really enjoyed watching this and hope you did check out that first album or a few more of their tracks.
TJF has always struck me as having one of the most satisfyingly accurate band names I've ever encountered. Their sound doesn't tickle the same part of my brain as that of a band like Snarky Puppy, but rather the part that craves something ear-blastingly freeing that few other bands have managed to capture. It's like the rush of a gale through the canopy of a forest on a sunny day. Granted, they have other tracks that are more lyrically developed than this, but I suppose it's so enduring among us fans because of - among other reasons, surely - how well it sums up the ethos that pervades their work.
YEAH!!! Love that power ending!
5:07 The exact face I made when I first heard this song
Same here. The drummer is a fan of heavy metal and you can hear it in his drumming and see it in his live performances. He goes into beast mode.
Wonderful stuff!
Oh, just one of the coolest songs by the best band in the world. Good choice.
Didn't have high expectations when this started--too repetitive and vocals straight out of The New Pornographers--but I was very pleasantly surprised at how it evolved. Kinda ended up as an indie rock meets shoegazy-post aesthetic, and I really dug that epic climax. Looks like another band to add to the list.
As much as I enjoy this track and their first album it’s on, I find their later 4 albums much more satisfying.
Did you end up listening to the entire album?