I know that my reference points need updating and that few even knew The Pursuit of Happiness at the time, but there is so much going on here that reminds me to dust off those old records sometime soon.
The first thing that hit me here was those angelic vocals running behind the main voice, just a small similarity, sure, but that is all it takes sometimes. But the more I listened, the more I found The Buddy System Forever to be the spiritual successors of that band that I hold so dearly in my musical heart, and the more I listened, the more I loved what they were doing.
It’s those blends of pop-addictive riffs and punky crunch, of delicacy and drive, of melody and muscle, and the balance of those aforementioned vocals, where gruff, forcefully delivered lyrics are fired through a sea of shimmering, floating ethereality. Delivering lyrics is one thing; doing so through such a perfect collision of creativity and attractive opposites is quite another.
“Joni Mitchell Smile” might be a simple ode to love, but it is a killer song, one that stretches across genres – punk and indie and rock and pop – and also eras, blending 80’s golden age touches of guitar-driven post-punk-pop while still sitting comfortably in today’s post-genre musical world.
This is my first taste of the band, and it feels as if I have caught the wave at just the right time. Perhaps it is their recent expansion from trio to four-piece; perhaps it is that, now, after four years of hard work, their musical chops are well and truly honed; maybe they just have a great way with songwriting. Whatever the reason, count me in!
