When an album kicks off with a tune that echoes the raw energy of an early-era Rainmakers jam, you can bet your bottom dollar it’s got my full attention. The Simply Joy, doff their hat to the likes of those bands that effortlessly weave good ol’ rock and roll with country twangs and that classic Americana vibe.
“Triple Double” ignites the fuse, a downright joyous and infectious medley of pulsating beats, driving guitars, spirited brass, and honky-tonk pianos. It’s a thing of beauty. And while they’ve clearly found their sweet spot with tunes like “If Your Soul Costs Nothing,” where they follow that familiar recipe, Unravel is an album which proves they’re no one-trick pony. Anything but.
“Circus In Your Head” shows they can slip into the sultry, slithering blues with ease, painting a dark and slightly unhinged sonic portrait that perfectly mirrors the narrative it carries. “Until” sways in as a jaunty acoustic folk piece, straddling the line between ballad and buoyancy.
“Now I,” well, that one takes a stroll into the neighbourhood of Nick Cave, spacious and epic. And “If I Could,” it’s like a country song stripped to its core, leaving behind just the gentle ebb and flow of chiming guitars and delicate hints of mandolin, all tethered by concise beats and basslines. It’s a tune built not just on structure but on atmospheric textures.
This inaugural album from The Simple Joy proves they’re more than the sum of their genre labels—Americana, folk, or country can’t quite encapsulate their essence. They’re a band that dabbles in genres, picking up influences and ideas wherever they find them, then weaving their own unique sound from the tapestry of their discoveries. They’re like sonic magpies, crafting their nests from the shimmering treasures they find along the way.
