No Joy : " More Faithful"

 I have been anticipating  this new full length from No Joy. I have always liked the glimpses I have gotten of this project in the past , but have never gotten a solid taste of what the band could really do  so now we get the big picture. The show you many side right from the first song which has the driving post-punk bass pumping under dreamy vocals. The guitar doesn't come into clearer focus until the second song, which conforms to more indie rock standards than the opener. The vocals smooth out and glide over their brand of dream pop, that comes across with vocals more in the forefront than their previous work. They veer off into something more upbeat , but not quite dancey on "Hollywood Teeth" that feels like it shaded with equal dabs of My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth.

From a production the guitars have a lot more varied sounds to work with. With this comes more expansive range of emotions conveyed. Sometimes these create a sound bordering on electronica on songs like" Burial In Twos" . This is juxtaposed against the almost punk "Corpo Daemon". It's there more introspective grooves like those of  "Bolas" that prove some of the albums more compelling moments. When something more rocking organically pours from those clouds it carries more of a punch. The distortion on "Chalk Snake" is pretty convincing. It's lethargy stumbled beneath the narcotic nature of the swirling vocal above it. Then they skip into jangly dream pop. Male float to the surface of the shoe gazed out "  I am an Eye Machine". This is one of the album's best song. The ethereal nature is balanced with soaring chords.

The close out the album on more of amped up Cocteau Twins drive. But with the bass and drums hammering under the verse at double time. The vocals of a drugged out angel circling the earth in a stoned bliss. Like I said I have always like what I have heard from this band and they have given me what I needed to hear from them. Sure they can gleam like fragile crystal, but can also rock out when they feel like it. I will round this one up to a 9.5 and see how it grows on me.