TBTS Music Review: The Joy Formidable – Wolf’s Law

Though just a trio, The Joy Formidable is more than capable of elevating the dynamics of their music to epic, symphonic levels. Fuzz soaked guitars, monster riffs and bulldozer rhythms contrasting with quiet string arrangements, blended with the innocent timbre of Ritzty Bryan’s vocals, light the way for uncontrived compositions bordering on the psychedelic, ranging from the subtle to the bombastic, sometimes even within the confines of a single tune. Brandishing a game plan strongly evidenced on their full length debut The Big Roar, TJF has upped their skills a significant notch with Wolf’s Law (Atlantic).  To stir up interest, Rolling Stone.com has been streaming the entire album since January 16th, a week prior to reaching the street, and it’s well worth a listen.

Days before Wolf’s Law was released, The Joy Formidable performed the opening track “This Ladder is Ours” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, giving credit to the rave reviews they have received lauding their live shows. Fallon’s enthusiasm for the group was no less than contagious. Give it a look. How can you not fall in love with this band? Kicking off the first leg of their U.S. tour at the Observatory in Santa Anna, CA they are hitting : OR, WA, UT, IL, MN, OH, IN, NY, MA, PA and DC as well, with Canadian dates mixed in here and there. Those dates should lead to an opening gig for a major act or two, getting this band some much needed national exposure.

Wolf’s Law is a quality work throughout. Self produced and mixed by veteran studio engineer Andy Wallace (Rage Against The Machine, Nirvana, A Perfect Circle), The Joy Formidable again stretches out to span the chasm from bittersweet acoustic numbers (“The Silent Treatment”) to all out mayhem (“Bats”).  Help support your local independent music retailer and pick up 2012’s first ‘do not miss disc’ of the year.