Repetitive guitar riffs aside, a good single from The Joy Formidable
The hard-working Welsh trio return with their unique brand of alternative rock hoping that their latest single ‘Popinjay’ will rejuvenate the interest that was noticeably stirring around them back in 2008.
The repetitive nature of the opening guitar riff immediately begins to irritate but the addition of the rest of the instruments fortunately disguises its continued dull presence. If you are able to filter out the offending guitar ostinato, you actually begin to appreciate the originality of the song. The saving grace for ‘Popinjay’ is its catchy chorus, which thankfully rests the annoying guitar riff.
The band’s sound for this single is not a million miles away from that of Scottish/American rockers Garbage. However, don’t expect to be able to understand every word that singer Ritzy Bryan utters, with the vocals struggling to effectively penetrate the combinative sound of the guitars and drums.
Nevertheless, The Joy Formidable have released one of their most interesting singles to date and have merited the right to continued attention.