Source: Album Artwork
Cali pop punk band Joyce Manor have been around for quite some time. The punk rockers, who formed in 2008, have released three stand-alone EPs, three splits and three studio albums. And unlike most pop punk bands on the verge of their fourth full-length, Joyce Manor’s popularity is only growing.
It’s easy for a band’s music to get stale four albums in, after all, the fourth album is the phase in a band’s musical career where they have already established a distinctive sound and style. This can lead to the music becoming extremely dull and repetitive—this is especially common for pop punk bands. Let’s face it; pop punk is not exactly the most varied and/or evolving genre in music. But we think that Joyce Manor do an impressive job of carefully navigating through this awkward stage with their new album Cody.
Opening track ‘Fake ID’ is the kind of laconic, yet infectious songs we’d expect to hear from Joyce Manor. It’s the kind of track you’d hear once and then proceed to play on repeat for a good 20 minutes or so. The playful tune murkily describes an encounter with a girl who’s droning on about Kanye West: “What do you think about Kanye West? / I think that he’s great, I think he’s the best” and later leads into a more straightforward, child-like telling of loss, “Don’t be shy / ‘cause my friend Brandon died / And I feel sad / I miss him, he was rad.”
After nine releases, it’s safe to say the band have perfected forceful, catchy hooks and succinct 2-minute tracks that stick with you. The raw, unpolished and unapologetic vibes that radiate from the punchy ‘Eighteen’ and the indie-rock-pop-punk blend of a song ‘Angel In The Snow’ (and, well, basically every other Joyce Manor song) might explain why the band is so magnetic.
There are some curveballs on the album, though, like the soft, stripped-back ‘Do You Really Want To Get Better’ or the moody, dark ‘Make Me Dumb’. The 90s vibes are strong in ‘Last You Heard Of Me’ with mighty alt-rock riffs, and “ahh… ohh” sing-a-longs straight out of the 90s. The sincere and direct ‘Stairs’ is weirdly one of the most interesting songs on the album—despite the fact that it has a steady pace throughout. The song’s subtle melody actually helps to elevate and emphasise the honest “it is what it is” kind of lyrics (another thing the band have perfected).
Sonically, Cody is definitely a softer album than the previous three. We might even say that it contains a more mature sound. But don’t worry too much because it still holds that raw unadulterated and passionate Joyce Manor charm that we have come to know.
