The Simple Joy is a roots-rock group based in Durham, North Carolina. They specialize in crafting original songs that prioritize meaningful lyrics and are known for their diverse instrumentation and harmonious vocals, which can encompass a wide range of genres such as rock, alternative country, blues, folk, and bluegrass, sometimes seamlessly blending several of these influences within a single composition. On their latest album, “Unravel”, they explore a more classic, return-to-roots sound that slowly unfolds into a heartwarming project. Keep reading for my thoughts!
The opener, an uptempo and blues-jazz energetic “Triple-Double”, bleeds blues and jazz blended with surf rock. Some elements of country and folk also make themselves apparent, with the simplistic lyrical themes, and the straight-yet-graceful delivery, instead letting the pianos and the guitars and the drums take the mainstage. The song’s energy never dwindles once through, which I quite loved.
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Segueing into the second song, “Nobody’s Fault”, we’re led from an uptempo number into a more moody, more held-back energy, which, while it is, indeed, nobody’s fault, a nice introduction of variation into the composition and the songwriting, choosing to take a little bit of a more melancholic approach, which, with its spacey refrain and bridge, leads us gently into the catchy solo and the next song, “Circus In Your Head”.
“Circus In Your Head” sees use of the mellotron in the intro, period-accurate for the musical style, I would say– with the slow, 6/8 flow of the song switching up at regular intervals, with the instruments slowly occupying the left and right halves of my head, all independently evolving into full-bodied guitar riffing, with the vocals anchoring it all down, and introducing the final layer, the icing on the cake, so to speak.
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“Avalon”, takes a more “Country Roads” sound, with delightful country marking the main style of this song– with the proud, strummed acoustics, and the loose, flowy singing style completing the package. There is also the soothing clean riff in the background that brings this song, slowly, full circle.
“Clarksville”, is a stellar example of what I mean when I say The Simple Joy are able to blend multiple elements into the same song, multiple genres into the same song. The song starts out simple with just the lyrics and not much else to back it up, but as the song grows on you, there is a definite element of unique identity that permeates the sound, and it’s quite a pleasant one. From the classic-rock-esque guitar riffing to the clean guitar picking reminiscent of blues music, this song was successful in taking me right back to the 70s in terms of the feel and sound. As the song closes out, we’re left wanting it to not.
Some other special mentions on the album include “If Your Soul Costs Nothing”, a cheery country rock number, and “Now I”, among, honestly, all of the songs on this record. All of them are distinctive and catchy and great compositions in their own right, and are sure to make you happy as you listen to the package unfold.
The production remains consistently delightful with good use of space and dynamics, with smart choices in instrumentation and execution, lending the whole album a sense of polish and cohesion that I came to quite enjoy.
Overall, “Unravel”, by The Simple Joy, is a great album encompassing a lot of styles, a lot of genres and a lot of themes all packaged into one while managing, quite well, to sound united and enjoyable. Check out the album here:
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