Creep is the second in an EP series that began with last year's Drool Sucker. This EP shows No Joy once again extending their sonic range and defying genre expectations.
Opener "Califone" has driving percussion and intricate riffs, but is more hook-driven than their past efforts, somewhat reminiscent of the War on Drugs. An eclectic mix of styles, the EP initially suggests that the band have softened their sound and moved completely towards dreamy psychedelia, but the fuzzy power of shoegaze always comes back to the surface. "Tearing Apart the Dark" moves in the opposite direction into outright metal, which blends powerfully with Jasmine White-Gluz's vocals. "Fluorescent Dread" is much more synth-centric than their previous work, sounding almost like synth-pop for a few measures before the guitars pick up, but it ends up being an interesting blend between pop and instrumental meditation.
Throughout all of these different sounds, No Joy's sonic core remains distinct, expressed through rhythm, White-Gluz's voice and a hard-to-describe feeling. Creep shows a variety of directions that No Joy could take with their music, but leaves the listener sure that wherever they go will be successful.
(Grey Market)Opener "Califone" has driving percussion and intricate riffs, but is more hook-driven than their past efforts, somewhat reminiscent of the War on Drugs. An eclectic mix of styles, the EP initially suggests that the band have softened their sound and moved completely towards dreamy psychedelia, but the fuzzy power of shoegaze always comes back to the surface. "Tearing Apart the Dark" moves in the opposite direction into outright metal, which blends powerfully with Jasmine White-Gluz's vocals. "Fluorescent Dread" is much more synth-centric than their previous work, sounding almost like synth-pop for a few measures before the guitars pick up, but it ends up being an interesting blend between pop and instrumental meditation.
Throughout all of these different sounds, No Joy's sonic core remains distinct, expressed through rhythm, White-Gluz's voice and a hard-to-describe feeling. Creep shows a variety of directions that No Joy could take with their music, but leaves the listener sure that wherever they go will be successful.
