It’s no secret that Joywave certainly have a flair for the dramatic. In perfect fashion, they’ve upped the ante with their latest release, Swish. The name of the album is a nod to Kanye West‘s almost-title for The Life of Pablo, which bore strikingly similar artwork to some of Joywave’s promo art last year. Swish is what can only be described as a concept album – the first nine songs are variations of “Destruction”, which the band (and fans alike) have deemed to be the greatest song ever written. The titles, in order, read “Why be credible when you can be incredible?” which is yet another nod to lead singer Daniel Armbruster’s Huffington Post essay series about the band’s debut album.
This particular concept album was a clever way for Joywave to officially release their new song, “Life in a Bubble I Blew”, which is the tenth track. They played it live during their 2015 headlining tour and now fans are finally able to enjoy a studio version. The song is classic Joywave, which is to say it’s just as magnificent as you would expect. Easygoing yet completely infectious, it doesn’t hit as hard as “Destruction” or “Tongues” or even “Parade”, but it reminds us of the band’s sheer talent and their uncanny ability to make dancing seem mandatory when you listen to them. It’s seemingly ridiculous moves like this one that allow Joywave to stake out their place in alternative rock history. They’re bold, unapologetic, and completely entertaining. One only needs to take a look at their Twitter page or watch any interview for confirmation of this. Their biting sarcasm and fierce Rochester pride separates them from the rest and easily wins over skeptics or nonbelievers.
Truly, the members of Joywave have managed to take their unbridled confidence and channel it into a musical project that only gets better. There isn’t one weak song in the band’s repertoire, and although their success is a decade plus in the making, it looks positively effortless. “Life in a Bubble I Blew” is only the latest in what’s sure to be an absolutely legendary career. From their first two mixtapes to How Do You Feel Now? to Swish to everything that’s going to be released in the future, we should all be thankful we get to come along for the ride.
Rating: 8.5/10
