In the release of their first album How Do You Feel Now?, front man, Daniel Armbruster, created an atmosphere perfect for that of the sweaty intimacy of dance clubs. Armbruster has a Midas touch when it comes to crafting taut, catchy electro-pop, and this album really showed off his talents. Several songs on the album have a self-sufficient, swift peaking structure that makes them perfect for the dance floor. Other songs though, have a more melodic bliss with slight rings of indie disco stirred in. With the ability to walk both routes simultaneously, this gives Joywave a very unique voice in the music industry.

The second full-length album from the synth-pop band creates a distinctly different sound than previous album and EP’s. Content is bursting with shady pockets overflowing with unease and anxiety driven lyrics. This is a sharp contrast from the band’s trademarked bouncing bops in How Do You Feel Now? Right off the bat, over a synth number and a soft thump that suggests that of a beating heart, Armbruster sings, “I’m searching for the difference between what CON-tent and con-TENT can bring…” With this as the opening line for the album it creates an almost melancholic, maybe forlorn tone for the remaining songs. As the powered thumps warble and bounce, advertising their lack of connection to their surroundings in neon signs big enough to be seen from space, Joywave gives us a first-hand look into what fame is to them. The entirety of Content is an undiscovered area for the underground band. It left me feeling a slight bit of sympathy and had me questioning my own connections to my surroundings. This is definitely something to listen to at night alone in your room. 

Joywave- Content Track List:

1. Content
2. Shutdown
3. It’s A Trip!
4. Rumors
5. Confidence
6. Doubt
7. Going to a Place
8. Little Lies You’ve Told
9. When You’re Bored
10. Thanks. Thanks for Coming
11. Let’s Talk About Feelings

Article by: Destinee Gates-Stepro