The Joy Formidable “s/t”

I'm not sure if this is to be considered some sort of demo or an EP or what (technically this isn't a true "release", the band just has the three songs available for download on their MySpace page), but I got an email from The Joy Formidable a few weeks ago, and upon checking out their material I was immediately blown away. What's odd about that is that the UK trio's somewhat peculiar niche isn't exactly what I'm normally known for listening to—that is to say there's nothing even remotely metal- or hardcore-esque about this music in the least—but I simply can't deny a good song, and every single one of these tracks is just fuckin' great. I have absolutely no idea how the majority of the world would classify this stuff (hell, even the band just tags it "Other/Other/Other" on MySpace), but there's a little bit of punk-ish indie rock to the tonality and catchiness of the songwriting, though the overall vibe kind of has that Interpol-ish contemporary new wave thing going on (And I just use Interpol as a loose reference point there since they're sort of a benchmark, you know?), it's just more upbeat and memorable as opposed to relying on the darker and more subdued side of things (though there is a certain somber air in there, too). I don't know, it's just excellent material, and I totally can't wait to hear more from this band. It won't be for everyone as far as the readership of this site's concerned, but I know a number of you will appreciate it as I do. Awesome.

The Joy Formidable "Austere"

Download all three tracks from The Joy Formidable's MySpace page.