All it takes is 3 chords and a dream!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

CD Review: The Joys - Unfold


The Joys - Unfold
2008, Koch Entertainment


Now this is the sort of big guitar rock album you've been looking for. Toronto's The Joys rock it old school on 2008's Unfold, putting the rock back into blues-rock. There's just a little bit of Janis Joplin in lead singer Sarah Smith who might be the best blues-rock voice to come along since Michelle Malone.

The Joys are not content with just one style of music however. The delicious rock of Soul On Your Sleeve, Storm and Fly is detoured by the country/Americana of Keep Trying To Try, a gem of a ballad. The Joys move easily from genre to genre without a blink of the eye, all the while carrying the big-rock swagger that is tempered by the vulnerability of vocalist Sarah Smith Other highlights include Don't Look Back, the swanky Come Alive, I'll Be Here and Unfold.

The Joys walk the line between rock and roll swagger and contemplation. The result is a delicious mix of styles and sounds rooted in blues/rock and Americana. Add in the utterly amazing voice of Sarah Smith and you have a band that should gain a lot of attention very quickly. Unfold is cold slap of musical reality that will leave you looking at your surroundings differently than before. The Joys are that type of band.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Joys at http://www.thejoys.ca/. You can purchase a copy of Unfold through CDPlus.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You can't be serious. Why would I buy this record when I have 5 of them on my shelf already... Boston, Black Crowes, Janis, Etheride.

Unoriginal crap.