The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law
Artist: The Joy Formidable
Album: Wolf’s Law
Label: Warner Music
OUT NOW
Rating: 4/5
Last year The Joy Formidable treated fans to tracks Cholla and Wolf’s Law as a taster as what was to come from their new album… and now Wolf’s Law is here.
This is the first album from the band since their debut The Big Roar back in 2011 and it has seen them come a long way.
The Ladder Is Ours is the opening track on the record and it kicks off with a great string introduction - that is perhaps a little unexpected.
The guitars kick in at the fifty second mark and this is an energetic start to this record and this is perhaps the closest this band will get to a love song.
Ritzy Bryan sounds fantastic on vocals from the very start and she is never overpowered or overshadowed by the heavy electric guitar elements of the tracks - in fact her voice is perfectly suited for this genre of film.
She has a voice that is light and yet powerful and she really does command your attention without ever being in your face.
This is an ambitious album from the trio as the tackle life and death and everything in between with the twelve tracks on the record.
They have experimented with their sound a little and they have moved away from the anthemic tracks that featured heavily on their debut - it is great to see them mixing things up and trying something new.
Tendons is a great example of their progression as a band as they have taken the anthemic nature of their music that we heard on the first album and added more layers to it as they have introduced a greater range of instrumentation and thrown in some heavier riffs.
The Joy Formidable have gone loud with this album and Bats is the perfect example of this as they allows the guitars to just bellow out like never before.
The band have been playing stadiums up and down the country over the last twelve months and it is great to see them embrace this bigger rock sound
This track has a dynamic soundscape that not only grabs your attention but also drives this track forward - it is one of my favourite songs on the album.
Silent Treatment is another gem of a track as it is a real departure from their normal sound - it may come as a bit of a surprise to long standing fans of the band.
Instead of being driven forward by furious guitars instead this track focuses on Ritzy’s fantastic vocal and it is really allowed to take centre stage.
Her vocal is supported by a very delicate acoustic guitar which really does show a softer side to the band. While it is a change in sound for them it is a sound that works incredibly well and it is great to see them mixing it up.
They always say that the second album is the most difficult to make but The Joy Formidable have delivered a great record that shows that they not only want to push on as band but that they are not afraid to experiment with their sound.
They move between rock tracks such as Bats and Maw Maw Song to more delicate offering such as The Ladder Is Ours and Silent Treatment.
The Joy Formidable - Wolf’s Law is out now
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