Joy - Under the Spell (2nd Album Psychedelic Retro-Heavy US 2014)

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The gnarly flows like wine all through Joy‘s Tee Pee Records debut, Under the Spell Of…, and the trio rip into an assortment of classic heavy rock jams comprised of tripped out explorations, psychedelic and organic in kind. A trio based out of San Diego, the bluesy circles they run offer a touch of earlier Radio Moscow, but with longer songs — all but two over six minutes and one of those is the album’s intro — Joy distinguish themselves with a raw sense of killing it for the sake of killing it, and the only real question is whether they named themselves after the joy they get in creating this sonic thrust or the joy they give crowds lucky enough to watch them do it. Maybe both.

Guest spots show up throughout Under the Spell Of…‘s eight tracks/46 minutes including Hawkwind‘s Nik Turner, Parker Griggs of the aforementioned Radio Moscow and Astra‘s Brian Ellis, who also produced, and each of them mesh smoothly with the classic power trio dynamic of guitarist/vocalist Zach Oakley, bassist Justin Holson and drummer Paul Morrone, honed over the two years since they made their self-titled, self-released debut in shows alongside the likes of Earthless, Harsh Toke and Mystery Ship. 

To wit, an early groover like “Evil” subtly draws back the initial charge of “Miles Away” and “Confusion,” setting up the later boogie of “Driving Me Insane,” which smooths progressive shifts in tempo and rhythm with tossoff-style ease. 

Supreme shuffle ensues, and after the quieter, semi-acoustic sojourn “Death Hymn Blues,” closer “Back to the Sun” feels like a victory lap touting the parsecs traveled since the record’s psyched-out launch in the intro “Under the Spell” and “Miles Away. ”Under the Spell Of… doesn’t make a show of nuance, but it’s there for those who want to hear it, nestled into the airtight, live-sounding performances, particularly West Coast take on heavy psych and blown out echoes of “Miles Away,” which you can hear on the player below. Its seven minutes only comprise a small piece of what Joy have to offer, but I think you’ll find it’s almost impossible not to get lost in it once you start out, and in that, it definitely represents the spell that trio are looking to cast.

Southern California psychedelic savages JOY have signed to Tee Pee Records! The sound of JOY has been described as "a spaced-out sonic groove-ride" and "outer reach freak out", but that hyperbole alone doesn't do justice to the group's measured mode of attack. 

JOY puts a premium on establishing both structure and dynamics, its kaleidoscopic flurry and full-throttle riffage is anchored by both subtle detail and surprising textural depth. Record Collector says that JOY "take the blues about as far out as they can stretch 'em and they're far more psychedelic than a band like Blue Cheer ever was, even in their most lysergic moments," a claim that can be debated by those whom have seen JOY share the stage with acts such as Dead Meadow, Harsh Toke, Hot Lunch, Sacri Monti and at last year's well-documented west coast tour with psychedelic giants (and new labelmates) Earthless. 

The sound of JOY has been described as "a spaced-out sonic groove-ride" and "outer reach freak out", but that hyperbole alone doesn't do justice to the group's measured mode of attack. JOY puts a premium on establishing both structure and dynamics, its kaleidoscopic flurry and full-throttle riffage is anchored by both subtle detail and surprising textural depth. 

Record Collector says that JOY "take the blues about as far out as they can stretch 'em and they're far more psychedelic than a band like Blue Cheer ever was, even in their most lysergic moments," a claim that can be debated by those whom have seen JOY share the stage with acts such as Dead Meadow, Harsh Toke, Hot Lunch, Sacri Monti and at last year's well-documented west coast tour with psychedelic giants (and new labelmates) Earthless.

01. Under The Spell Of 01:36
02. Miles Away 07:03
03. Confusion 07:40
04. Evil 06:31
05. One More Time 06:16
06. Driving Me Insane 06:03
07. Death Hymn Blues 03:36
08. Back To The Sun 07:15

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