If everyone was to be completely honest, the whole “emo-revival” thing has become a little saturated now, and almost weekly a new band comes along with a scrappy guitar sound and lovelorn lyrics. On their first album ‘Forgettable’, Sorority Noise fit the bill perfectly, however the album was anything but forgettable which gave them a head start over dozens of chancers. Of course it means that following an album like ‘Forgettable’ could be a difficult task, so the best thing they could do is shake off the emo tag and release ‘Joy, Departed’ which is far more than just another emo album.
Now on highly credible label Topshelf Records, the Connecticut quartet have used every element in their creative arsenal to ensure that ‘Joy, Departed’ is filled with textbook musicianship, and a harsh, self-examining rhetoric running through the core of the album. While there may be the odd painful ode to relationships at times through ‘Joy, Departed’, front man Cameron Boucher has used the album as a pedestal in which to air his personal struggles in the most gut-wrenching way.
The pretty, softly picked guitar of ‘Blissth’ provide a contrast to the dark overtone of Boucher’s narrative, as he openly touches on his battle with drugs in the past from the outset. The beauty in his writing is that when you think he is talking about a relationship, he could well be talking about other personal addictions. ‘Corrigan’ has the air of a lost love about it, but is articulated in a way that invites you to add your own interpretation to it, which is the mark of a great writer.
Sorority Noise have utilised the whole quiet/loud dynamic in their sound, and when they want to soar through ‘Nolsey’ they really do know how too. It is applied perfectly to ‘Your Soft Blood’ as well, which for over five minutes twists between haunting, minor key guitar riffs before swelling into a wall of screeching noise. All the while Boucher invites you to cast your own judgment upon him as he declares “Define me with long hair and cigarettes / don’t chalk me up to anything less than sin”, when underneath this self-deprecation beats the heart of a deeply honest individual.
‘Joy, Departed’ is very up and down in the way the songs are arranged, but it is still cohesive. Even when they apply a mid-paced college-rock vibe to ‘Art School Wannabe’, and then dropping down to the serene, and aching ‘Fuchsia’ the album flows with precision thanks to their accomplished playing ability. Of course they can keep things simple when needs be, with the driving indie-punk of ‘Monokay’, complete with a Beach Boys-esque vocal harmony, which by this point you begin to feel that Boucher has started to exorcise his demons. This is confirmed in the closing opus ‘When I See You (Timberwolf)’, as he croons “If hell is real I hope you are enjoying your stay’, as the song builds into a funnel of feedback at it’s cadence.
If you were on the fence about ‘Joy, Departed’, and perhaps ready to write it off as just another emo record, then it would be in your best interests to re-think your decision. When you peel back the layers of the record it boasts a poetic genius akin to Weezer’s sophomore record ‘Pinkerton’. As cathartic as it was to write for Sorority Noise, ‘Joy, Departed’ could be the album that saves your life.
GLEN BUSHELL