{"id":8917,"date":"2015-06-23T11:00:36","date_gmt":"2015-06-23T11:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-sorority-noise-joy-departed\/"},"modified":"2018-03-21T22:16:12","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T22:16:12","slug":"album-review-sorority-noise-joy-departed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-sorority-noise-joy-departed\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Sorority Noise\u00a0–\u00a0Joy, Departed"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"\u201cWhat does it mean to be happy, and am I getting better?\u201d<\/i> muses Sorority Noise<\/b>\u2019s Cam Boucher on \u2018Mononokay\u2019. It\u2019s a theme he returns to time and again throughout \u2018Joy, Departed\u2019<\/i> but never so succinctly as those two perfect lines. <\/figure>\n

With themes of identity, personal struggles and addiction it\u2019s a ranging album that wants you to think and contemplate as well as emote. That Boucher \u2013 also part of the excellent Old Gray \u2013 achieves this with room to spare on Sorority Noise<\/b>\u2019s follow-up to last year\u2019s \u2018Forgettable\u2019<\/i> suggests they could follow in the footsteps of Modern Baseball (with whom they share a lot of common ground and who contribute guest vocals on a couple of tracks) as the next big emo breakout. <\/p>\n

Joy, Departed by Sorority Noise<\/a><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re expecting a \u2018Forgettable\u2019<\/i> MKII, however, be warned. The rough and ready charm has been replaced by a top class production job that has smoothed the edges and made \u2018Joy, Departed\u2019<\/i> fizz and pop on the likes of \u2018Corrigan\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Art School Wannabe\u2019<\/i> and sound sumptuously beautiful on \u2018Flourescent Black\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Fuchsia\u2019<\/i>. Yet the heart of Sorority Noise<\/b> still beats true and hard. <\/p>\n

It all means that there\u2019s a breadth to \u2018Joy, Departed\u2019<\/i> that was missing from the hugely enjoyable \u2018Forgettable\u2019<\/i>. Instead, the sadder songs are infinitely sadder, the pop songs are insanely infectious and the epic songs \u2013 songs which would have felt out of place on \u2018Forgettable\u2019<\/i> \u2013 shows burgeoning confidence. It means \u2018Joy, Departed\u2019<\/i> never feels one-dimensional or a sonic rehash of an earlier idea. Instead, this is an album that shows growth in every possible department. <\/p>\n

However, perhaps conscious of a larger audience, the fuck-you, bitter irreverence of \u2018Forgettable\u2019<\/i> has been replaced with sincerity (something Boucher is successful in conveying, despite its trickiness) and is further evidence of the growing maturity of Sorority Noise<\/b>. <\/p>\n

The humour and dark lyrics are still there in abundance, however, and it\u2019s these flashes of inspiration that get you firmly on side. For example, if you can find no enjoyment from the self-deprecating \u2018Art School Wannabe\u2019<\/i> (which surely falls into Community level meta-analysis), then maybe Sorority Noise<\/b> aren\u2019t the band for you. Indeed, there\u2019s always the danger that the lyrics could feel self-indulgent, but Boucher ensures he comes across as open, honest and engaging throughout. It means, despite the content, \u2018Joy Departed\u2019<\/i> never feels morose or overbearing. <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I\u2019m my own greatest fan? \/ Maybe I\u2019m just scared to admit that\/ I might not be as dark as I think \/ Maybe I\u2019m not the person that I never wanted to be\u201d<\/i> Boucher muses on \u2018Art School Wannabe\u2019<\/i> \u2013 tongue firmly in cheek, especially considering the lyrical content of songs such as \u2018Using\u2019<\/i>. Indeed, considering the output of Old Gray<\/b>, in which Boucher explores some highly personal topics, he probably should be commended for his willingness to poke fun at himself, even if he does have anxieties about his abilities as an artist. <\/p>\n

Of course, he should have no real concerns. On every release, be it Old Gray or Sorority Noise<\/b>, there\u2019s been progression either musically or lyrically. The orchestral arrangements on the gorgeous \u2018Your Soft Blood\u2019<\/i>, and the understated majesty of \u2018When I See You (Timberwolf)\u2019<\/i> are just two of the jumps forward on \u2018Joy, Departed\u2019<\/i>. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve gotten better at getting better \/ I\u2019ve gotten better at being me,\u201d<\/i> concludes Boucher on ‘Mononokay’<\/i>. \u2018Joy Departed\u2019<\/i> may be only Sorority Noise<\/b>\u2019s second full-length, but it\u2019s clear Boucher now has a clear handle on the sound and direction of a band that started out as a side-project. His personality and vulnerabilities are right at the fore, and as he continues to learn more about himself, the chances are Sorority Noise<\/b> are only going to get better. <\/p>\n

All of this means we\u2019re looking at an album that\u2019s a clear improvement on its predecessor. To give you an indication as to how good, last year\u2019s \u2018Forgettable\u2019<\/i> edged into my personal top 10. I expect \u2018Joy, Departed\u2019<\/i> to do even better. <\/p>\n

4.5\/5<\/p>\n

‘Joy, Departed’<\/i> by Sorority Noise<\/b> is out now on Topshelf Records<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Sorority Noise<\/strong> links: Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Bandcamp<\/a><\/p>\n

Words by Rob Mair (@BobNightMair<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhat does it mean to be happy, and am I getting better?\u201d muses Sorority Noise\u2019s Cam Boucher on \u2018Mononokay\u2019. It\u2019s a theme he returns to time and again throughout \u2018Joy, Departed\u2019 but never so succinctly as those two perfect lines. With themes of identity, personal struggles and addiction it\u2019s a ranging album that wants you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":14383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[5426,15022,430,976],"class_list":["post-8917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-album-reviews","tag-joy-departed","tag-rob-mair","tag-sorority-noise","tag-topshelf-records"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAlbum Review: Sorority Noise\u00a0-\u00a0Joy, Departed - Already Heard Staging<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cWhat does it mean to be happy, and am I getting better?\u201d muses Sorority Noise\u2019s Cam Boucher on \u2018Mononokay\u2019. 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