Some bands are just not meant to be caged in. If you follow the trajectory of My Heart To Joy’s output, the band’s full-length debut, Seasons In Verse, might come as a surprise at first. But, when studied closer it is in fact the logical culmination of a burning that has noticeably been building up from the band’s core.
The instrumental first song, “Time Spent Breathing” reminds one of the lushness of Trail Of Dead rather than the melodic and screamy hardcore of the band’s past. And really that is a great comparison for My Heart To Joy (formerly My Heart To Joy At The Same Tone). The collision of art, indie and punk rock is quite similar to Trail Of Dead’s earlier material. Thankfully though, My Heart To Joy leave the pretension at the door. The band follows up the opener with the impassioned “Empty Homes” which leads into the album’s mid-paced mid-section. Songs like “Seasons In Verse”, “Worn Out Weather” and “Giving My Hands Away” may not be as in your face but they never lack the power and depth of the band’s more raging material either. “Old Capitals” is the collison of all facets of the band’s songwriting and is breathtaking in its delivery. My Heart To Joy even cover a Guided By Voices song, (ironically also covered by Trail Of Dead), “Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory”, with great success as they take the inner beauty of the song and turn it upside down with a healthy dose of vitriol.
When I reviewed the band’s seven-inch in January my RIYL was Hot Water Music, Small Brown Bike and Latterman…certainly good company to keep. But, with Seasons In Verse, My Heart To Joy have moved beyond those influences into more ambitious waters. The challenge with growth is to somehow maintain the signature quality of your songwriting. Even though the band has pushed their creativity into interesting new realms they have still managed to retain the raw and powerful nature of their earlier material. Seasons In Verse is proof of the dynamic and diverse heart that My Heart To Joy possess.
Seasons In Verse
03%20Seasons%20In%20Verse.mp3
