EP review: THE JOY FORMIDABLE, EMMET SCANLAN

THE JOY FORMIDABLE Sleep Is Day

THE JOY FORMIDABLE Sleep Is Day EP [Release date 26.09.16]

You certainly can’t complain at value for money with an EP that runs to a very generous seven tracks over 32 minutes. I’ve seen plenty of albums that aren’t much longer.

But fans of the Welsh three-piece – Rhiannon “Ritzy” Bryan (guitar/vocals), Rhydian Dafydd Davies (bass), and Matthew James Thomas (drums) – who have been around since 2006 and who have three albums under their belt, will be well aware of the band’s prolificacy.

Leading with ‘Liana’ lifted off their latest album Hitch – a shimmering taster that echoes Mac and the short lived River City People, it begs the question why TJF have flown under the Get Ready To ROCK! radar thus far.

The EP, otherwise a largely acoustic outing, includes a neat balance of two reinterpreted Hitch album tracks, a previously unreleased number, and covers of Bowie (a sympathetic ‘Ashes To Ashes’), The Misfits, and KONGOS (their current tour partners).

While perhaps only painting one aspect of the TJF sound, Sleep Is Day provides a springboard for a broader exploration of the band’s releases. And for the curious, there’s plenty of tasters to be found both on the band’s website, and their Soundcloud page. ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

EMMET SCANLAN & WHAT THE GOOD THOUGHT These Are Dreams This Is Life EP [Release date 11.11.16]

For those with a predisposition for Soaps, no, this is not Emmet J Scanlan from Hollyoaks.
This Emmet is originally from Limerick, and he and his multinational band (Alan Preims – Percussion (Italy), Peter Akerstrom – classical guitar (Sweden), Nicola Geddes – cello (Scotland), and Cathal Doherty – bass (Ireland)) have been around for a decade without, it has to be said, making many ripples on the scene.

Their latest EP – their second since their 2009 debut album Hands, cover s a gamut of genres – rhythm ‘n’ blues (Over Again), jazz (You Know Who Knows), singer/songwriter (with some very delicate female harmony vocals), and folk (Bless The Weather), again with some exquisite harmony vocals).

There’s a warmth to the set that could perhaps set Emmet Scanlan & What The Good Thought apart from the rest, but the breadth of the material means they fail to nail their colours to any one particular mast. ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)