Joyce From the Future - Pop - Billings, MT
by Jordan Finn
One part chilling and equal parts chill, Joyce From the Future makes electro-pop just as cool as it is hot and heavy. Their eponymous EP, Joyce From the Future, fuses a pastiche of house, funk, soul, psychedelia, and (of course) pop to create a sound you might expect from Brooklyn or LA, but not the sugar beet smells of Billings, Montana.
Each of Joyce’s four synth-heavy tracks carves out its own moody personality with sleek production and precise musicianship. It’s also due in no small part to vocalist Lyric Horton’s velvety delivery and straight-forward lyricism that lands without a whiff of pop’s occasional melodrama. Joining her on production duty is writing partner Alex Campbell, letting his audio wizardry reign mighty and contributing on a number of instruments. Konnor Stiles provides keys and tasty saxophone while Josh Reedy performs with metronomic precision on the drums. The result is a cohesive record that consistently shifts styles between tracks and incorporates as many instruments and textures as possible without overwhelming the listener. One track might slink hypnotically along with a sinister bass groove and a throbbing wall of synth, while another foregrounds arpeggiated guitar, sunny vocal stylings, and pulsing keys that make the whole package infectious.
Like the best types of records, Joyce has that lived-in feeling that makes a first listen seem familiar. A casual listener can have a surface-level experience with the hallmarks of pop’s immediate catchiness, but a close listen is rewarded with nuggets of nuance that scintillate like a collectable in the corner of your eye. Opener “The Sound of Being Alive” establishes jaunty vocals and a hermetically tight bass performance that keeps the song locked-in from start to finish. Oh yeah - and there’s a sick sax solo. If “The Sound of Being Alive” is a California night-drive, the spry “Interior Design” is a speedier mix with an elevated tempo and psychier ambience that feels like you’re watching someone have a bad trip in a club. Next, “I Want 2 Be Wrong” showcases the band’s ability to synthesize two conflicting moods without losing any of the pleasurable melodies. Here, anxiety feels damn sexy and the track oscillates between a breezy (albeit disquiet) acoustic guitar verse and a downright sleazy chorus that sashays between eardrums. The final track, “Stranger,” harkens back to 80s synth-pop, an intimidating and bassy synth competes with a playful guitar lick that worms its way in your brain with each repeating chorus. As light as the EP starts it ends with surprising weight.
It’s easy to appreciate a group like Joyce From the Future for a lot of reasons - but what stands out is their ability to jam-pack such an assortment of sounds into such a neat little package. No instrument sounds the same track to track and no mood feels duplicated. Rather, they find enough sonic space to fit contrasting tones and shifts in atmosphere while staying confidently buoyant. Joyce’s ability to dovetail dark but brief chord changes into waves of melody separates the group from some of indie-pop’s more anodyne brethren. To hear vibrant sounds like this from a state known for its fly-fishing and cattle runs is a most welcome breath of fresh air. In an era of bands embracing electronica and pop acts veering towards sensitive subtlety, Joyce From the Future is killing it.
