At first listen, one might understandably classify Australia's My Disco as a post-punk band. Never mind that the first track off their first stateside release (third overall) is titled "Closer", and disregard the fact that they've recorded with Steve Albini, or that the group named itself after a Big Black song. The guitar and drums in "Closer" are aggressive and rhythmically focused, recalling the usual cast of post-punk characters: Wire, Gang of Four, the Fall. The sort of cathartic punch one might also associate with these groups, however, isn't there; it's not something the song is necessarily lacking, but its absence is nonetheless notable.
At first, track two, "Young", follows the same tack. It works up a similar head of steam, but without the sort of tension and release one might expect. Around the three-minute mark, the more boisterous, guitar-driven song the group seemed to be playing turns out to be a feint. Instead the rhythm section settles into a calmer version of the track's original beat and rides it out for the next five minutes. The drummer adds a few rolls and flourishes over this extended outro, but otherwise "Young" contentedly sits in this little pocket until the track end. It's those meditative five minutes that exemplify what My Disco offer on Little Joy; not so much post-punk as post-rock (with a krautrock bent).
No doubt My Disco's particular formula-- to settle into a repetitive groove and ride it steadily for the length of the song-- might strike some as simply formulaic. How a song begins is, for the most part, how it ends. "With Age"-- its sharp staccato guitar strums giving way to brief but powerful splashes of amplifier excess-- helps to add some contrast. That said, there's a hypnotic allure to Little Joy and the way most of its songs content themselves with simply staying the course. Those steady rhythms are definitely soothing, especially when coupled with Liam Andrews' sporadic, minimal mantras. And when something out of the ordinary appears, like the aforementioned flare-ups in "With Age" or the fragmented introduction to "Sun Bear", its presence carries much more impact than it would otherwise. Those out-of-character moments are few and far between, but listeners willing to roll with the lack of punch Little Joy offers will find that shortcoming easy to live with.
