The Joy Formidable are an alternative rock band from the UK that have been on my radar since I first heard Wolf's Law in 2013. I have to admit, the only reason I initially noticed them was seeing that album's beautiful artwork while trolling iTunes for interesting new music. Though my opinion of them has fluctuated through the years, I believe The Joy Formidable's discography is worthy of analysis and ranking.
Below, I've ranked TJF's albums from least favorite to favorite. Hopefully you'll find them intriguing and check this underappreciated band's work out!
05. Hitch || Released 2016 || Hitch, The Joy Formidable's third album, marks for me a definite slump in quality in the middle of the band's discography. Missing is the experimentation of the debut, the passion of the second, and the solid songwriting of the following two. It's a rather uninspired, by the numbers alt-rock that doesn't do much to impress me. I feel like this is supposed to be heard as arena-rock music, meant to play for a massive audience, but the songs are simply too boring to accomplish this effect. I wouldn't say Hitch is entirely worthless, however; Radio of Lips and Liana are actually pretty effective, and the rest is merely offensively inoffensive. Still, a disappointment. Favorite song: Liana. Rating: 48/100
04. AAARTH || Released 2018 || A definite swing in the right direction, a bounce-back from mediocrity. AAARTH is a noisy, entertaining ride with solid songwriting and catchy tunes. It's funny; if I wasn't aware of the order TJF's albums were released in, I would have guessed that this was the successor to The Big Roar; it's more formulated than said album, but still noisy and contains fun production and musical choices. Ritzy Bryan's vocals are lovely too. I would still say it's relatively weak compared to the debut, a shadow of that album, but nevertheless it entertains, and I still revisit sometimes. Favorite song: Cicada (Land on Your Back). Rating: 71/100
03. Into the Blue || Released 2021 || Into the Blue, TJF's latest album, is a heavy and ominous alt-rock and noise pop record. For me it's effective in conveying a dark and oppressive atmosphere that gets under my skin. This might sound like it makes for an unpleasant listening experience, but the album is not devoid of energy; it's noisy in a way unique to TJF and the instrumental prowess is definitely there. I would say this might be slightly weaker than AAARTH in the sense that it's not as relistenable, but it's a more essential musical experience, at least for me. Solid work. Favorite song: Sevier. Rating: 79/100.
02. Wolf's Law || Released 2013 || TFJ's sophomore album is a very different beast from their debut, to be sure, but the experience is very worth having. This is the band's most clean and polished work, something that many were disappointed with. As for myself, I find the songwriting is engaging, the production is filled with appealing and lovely moments. There are weak spots that keep this from being a genuinely perfect experience; Bats is a little too formulaic, and I actually dislike the closer, The Turnaround, which is too long and annoyingly underwritten. When this album shines, however, it shines. The opener, This Ladder Is Ours, is gloriously noisy and catchy, Cholla's crunchy guitar lines are ridiculously infectious, and Little Blimp is a lot of fun. Great moments are scattered throughout this project, and the passion and craft of it make Wolf's Law my second favorite Joy Formidable record. Favorite track: Cholla. Rating: 84/100
01. The Big Roar || Released 2011 || And here it is, the debut that started it all. The Big Roar sets a standard for experimentation and ambition that few alternative rock albums of the decade were able to match, or even approach. It's noisy, as could be expected from the rest of their discography, but nothing else they've done since has sounded this dense and chock-full of brilliant ideas. Ritzy Bryan's beautiful and unique vocals soar above waves and waves of heavy guitars and crashing drums to make a joyful racket virtually unmatched in the world of alt-rock during the 2010s. Tracks like The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie and The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade are so expansive, yet detailed, that they leave me awed. I've used the word ambition already, but it's worth the redundancy to say that The Big Roar is intensely ambitious. Every note of almost every song, while no doubt carefully considered, gives a feeling of pure energy and raw, unbridled passion. All this said, there are relatively weak moments here and there; Maruyama, while it could be said that the interlude is needed as a brief respite for the listener after such intense first half, is still a weak point (too slow, songwriting less than stellar). Llaw = Wall, is really just O.K. It's the only track without Ritzy's trademark beautiful vocals, instead sung by bassist Rhydian Dafydd. Even with that caveat, the album is still a truly engrossing musical experience that needs more attention. Brilliant. Favorite track: The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie. Rating: 94/100
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