The taboo connotation of genre clichés such as “beautiful noise” is played out. If a track is pretty, and it’s noisy, then so be it. Montreal shoegazers No Joy have just announced their third LP, More Faithful, out June 9 on Mexican Summer, and its first single is nothing short of revelatory. The track, titled “Everything New”, layers so much sound on top of itself, cutting back and alternating between parts, it very clearly signifies the band’s full knowledge of self, and clearly experienced songwriting, with breakaway multi-part sound-shifting and thoughtfully involved composition. Guitars alternate between picking that’s delayed so long it sounds like it’ll go on forever and reverbed strum reprieves, while the bass swims underneath, surfacing periodically. All is eventually grounded and paved over by melodic synth-fuzz pushed by a steadily poppy rhythm—completely cut in half and sent to the heavens with the vocals.
