Review by Gary Cordwell
Release Date: 7 March 2014
Dutch psychedelic rockers Birth of Joy are a tough band to pigeonhole. They will be playing a high-profile gig at SXSW in Austin this month and you get the feeling that the dry, desert air will suit these young stoners down to the ground. They are a power trio but with an unusual dynamic (organ/guitar/drums). They are obviously indebted to the blues rock scene of the late 60’s/ early 70’s but are in no way simply a retro band, they sound very much in-the-now.
The band kick off their latest release, Prisoner, with ‘The Sound’ and what is immediately apparent with the Jon Lord-esque sound is that the keyboards are the lead instrument – vocalist Kevin Stunnenberg’s distorted guitar is almost a backing instrument, adding texture and ‘oomf’ (technical term!). The quirky ‘How it Goes’ has thumping, Dave Grohl-style drumming and then some Pink Floyd keyboard noodlings usher in the abum’s centrepiece, the 7 minute-plus ‘Three Day Road’. Its epic construction, power chords, dramatic build-and release ebb and flow, are sure to be stretched out to jam-tastic lengths live. The band then head out into the badlands with a head full of peyote for their most Doors-like song, ‘Holding On’ with Stunnenberg channeling his inner Lizard King, although with none of Morrisons’ brooding deathwish. This is a joyous noise.
However, this trip is not all retro. Yes, the band proudly wears their influences on their sleeves (or perhaps their patches on their flares) but the raw, in-the-red production reminds you that you are listening to a bunch of hungry youngsters right now. There are no grandstanding solos, these guys play hard and fast. You get the impression that Gatjan Gutmans’ organ takes quite a beating (fnarr). So, Purple, ELP, Focus – but also The Strokes, MC5 and Muse are thrown into this particular blender. So squeeze into a pair of leather strides and go and see them live, it’ll be a blast.
8 out of 10
Track listing:
- The Sound
- How It Goes
- Keep Your Eyes Shut
- Three Day Road
- Grow
- Rock And Roll Show
- Longtime Boogie
- Mad Men
- Holding On
- Prisoner
- Clean Cut
