That AAARTH feels cathartic comes as no surprise, as the trio have long been purveyors of both aural and emotional heft, but this time around they've managed to crystallize both aesthetics into something truly sublime, fulfilling the promise set forth on 2011's The Big Roar.
This is without a shadow of a doubt their best album since The Big Roar, the first to prioritize rock and roll for the sake of rock and roll over a desire for pop hooks or radio attention (say I, as a total outsider) and AAARTH is all the better for it.
It’s still inspiring to see the Joy Formidable so deftly tighten everything that makes them good – and, even better, make it look effortless.
This album is a breath of fresh air in a sea of mediocrity in this genre of rock music from 2018. Ritzy Bryan is a good singer, the album has some compelling melodies throughout and several of the songs actually build and go somewhere by the end. The only negative thing I have to say is that the arrangements and production, in many cases, sound busy. Too much is going on in the music, and Bryan's voice is often drowned out, which is no bueno. Less is always more. Otherwise, The Joy Formidable ... read more
#51 | / | Rough Trade |