Hear me out: there are a ton of records out there made by young, precocious talents still in their teenage years. Often those records sing about themes that appear too premature to have been experienced yet. Well, in the case of Joy and the Wildfire, the opposite happens; vivid, meaningful and nuanced songwriting penned by people with a story, experiences, and something interesting to say. Guided by frontwoman Samantha Joy Pearlman, the project evolved from her solo endeavour to collective action, now debuting with a striking and evocative album, ‘Aftershocks’.
In it, the keen listener is met with a rather eclectic formula, packing anything from euphoric indie pop to light alt-rock flavourings, passing through a heightened sense of playfulness and eclecticism. Title track ‘Aftershocks’ – opening the record – reveals all that perfectly, sharing a certain progressive character too. Honestly, it’s not easy to pinpoint the group to a specific genre box or cultural room. We believe that to be positive, creatives shouldn’t be restricted in their output.
Follow-up ‘The Assistant’ introduces understated electronic textures, overcharging the track with haunting energy and anthemic flair. In the outro, we get a glimpse of Joy and the Widlfire’s heart-shaking, intense guitar prowess. Elsewhere, ‘Lessons’ takes a mellow, poignant look at Pearlman’s luscious vocals, letting the listeners rest over ballad-Esque territories.
A personal album, ‘Aftershocks’ explores love, growth and societal issues – simply, it inquires about the ever-changing nature of our reality. Penned by Pearlman and Andrew Fox, the record is the perfect example of a piece rich both in its lyricism and sonic livery. Jared Decker, Sean Decker and Meghan Doyle complete the talented lineup.
Speaking about the album, Joy explains: “In life, there is joy. There is also wildfire. Life is one giant pendulum swing between the two. With ‘Aftershocks’, we welcome it all and want you to be able to feel the joy, the wildfire and everything in between. Whenever you need to feel the love, press play.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Aftershocks’ on Spotify:
