Joyce Manor are a Californian pop-punk trio from Torrance who have been going since 2008 and this is the bands sixth album. Joyce Manor are Chase Knobbe, Matt Ebert and Barry Johnson alongside new drummer Tony Thaxton. The album was produced by Rob Schnapf and this album contains some old songs that have been re-worked and the rest of the material was written during lockdown, this album doesn't hang around as it's 9 songs are done and dusted in just 17 minutes.
The album opens with the bands blasting guitar punk cover of Souvenir by OMD that in places is a little bit straighter than it could be, but then it's such a great song and they make it a bit heavier than the original without losing any of the pop magic within.
NBTSA is adrenal punk for someone whose never going to be the same again, no idea what's happened to him but he's a changed man.
Reason To Believe is the effect you've had on him, it's a very short sharp revelation. You're Not Famous Anymore is a song for someone who had it all while young and went out in a blaze of free drugs and other showbiz cliches and has ended up working a minimum wage job and are just dreaming of Stacey's mom all day long.
Don't Try is power pop punk blast with a Descendants style feel to it, it gets quite anthemic and almost sounds longer than it's less than two-minute length.
Gotta Let It Go is a good song about letting Bagels be Beigals and moving on without too many regrets for things you can't change, this is the first time the vocals sound angry and angsty.
Dance With Me is more like a call to join him in the circle pit rather than slow dance as he tries to persuade you that he's worth a dance at least, this will be stuck in your head very quickly indeed so much so you might actually want to dance with him.
Did You Ever Know is an anthem for drinking with friends in the park and having a good time, this is catchy as can be and has some great shimmering guitars.
The album closes with Secret Sisters that sounds like the heaviest tune on the album a bit of a dark blast as the guitars close in on him as the revelation of how this secret developed and how on earth do you keep it secret for all these years.
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