For the Joy Formidable, bigger most certainly is better. The London-by-way-of-Wales outfit makes music that feels bred for the arena, packing each driving track with huge washes of guitar and giant swarms of buzzing bass. This despite the fact that half the band's debut mini-LP, A Balloon Called Moaning, was recorded in a bedroom. If nothing else, the album is proof that you don't need a ton of production gloss to create a sound that's this anthemic and emotive.
On almost every track here, you get that moment of boisterous clarity-- usually in the form of some skyward-shooting chorus-- that feels affirming and perfectly in-line with UK arena rock. But these fist-pumping jolts are mixed in with prickly goth textures and doses of melodic post-punk, which serve as a welcome contrast. And most of these big moments get over without the benefit of being outwardly catchy, which is both impressive and occasionally worrying. Opener "The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade" and stunning highlight "The Last Drop" are two exceptions, but elsewhere the band's emphasis is on making emotional contact rather than trying to wiggle a hook into your head.
And it's all good, just as long as the band cranks it. Guitarist and lead vocalist Ritzy Bryan's sprightly voice soars when hoisted up by the rousing buzz of the band, even in instances when they seem like they should drown her out. Bryan's energy delicately enhances and ekes feeling out of draggier numbers, especially relatively to occasional vocal contributor and bassist Rhydian Dafydd. On material that offers more of an edge, like the harder-charging "Whirring", Bryan stands out as more than just a sing-along leader, injecting a little bit of snarl into the proceedings.
A Balloon Called Moaning could actually stand for a bit more of that edge, and sometimes the material's boisterousness can seem a little hokey. But if enveloping and cleanly-stated material like "The Last Drop" or recent single "Popinjay" are any indication, there's real potential for the band's big songs to be as much about pop as they are about payoff.
