Joyce Manor: 40 Oz. To Fresno | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- Under Joyce Manor’s shambolic charm, they've always hidden away an overachieving ability, working like crazy to shield a pop song behind endearing punk. In every release to this point, that insulated pop flair has been gradually, but ever more insistently pushing its way to the forefront. Thirteen years on from their debut demo, it sounds to me as though the now three piece have come to a comfortable point where they can fully embrace this. There must be something in that SoCal water, man. It was a hotbed for the pop leaning punk bands that dominated mid-to-late '90’s radio waves and Joyce Manor are continuing to represent that cohort as they churn out anthemic choruses built into catchy songs, with a slight edge. This time around, on 40 Oz. To Fresno , the edge has been sheered almost entirely off and what a record results.

There was always that crossover element present in Joyce Manor and now the alchemical process has been modified, in a way, to showcase this. Rolling chords bring Souvenir with just a dash of feedback. Here we have a song that is catchy without much needed for vocal lines which, in and of itself, is a signpost for stellar songcraft. Most of the melodic heavy lifting is done by an instantly charming guitar line. Inversely, the balance is turned back to the norm on Never Be The Same Again. The classic pop punk technique of repeating a single line, in this case the song title, is used to its full effect. How its short, sharp and bustling energy contrasts against the comparatively cruisy Reason To Believe shows Joyce Manor at their crafty best. Given the talk in recent years of a pop punk revival, how on God’s green earth You’re Not Famous Anymore hasn’t been an era defining hit is beyond me. If brevity is the soul of wit, this one minute and forty-five is a perfect encapsulation of that principle. Choppy guitar chords, a memorable refrain taken straight from the title, snarkily-tinged humorous lyrics and vocal harmonies…I mean what more could you ask for?

Continuing on from that unabashed radio appeal, it’s a sentimental move into Don’t Try and a move that doesn’t lose that hook. Another escapade in maximising every moment, it bursts into melancholic glory during the chorus. It’s applicable here and applicable across this record: when you’re singing along before the song has even come to a close, there’s something that’s done flawlessly right. Second that with Come On and Dance With Me. There’s a little more happening here during the chorus with guitar melodies flying alongside the soaring sections and then coming into their own during the blink and you’ll miss it solo. A cascade of down-strum chords and a noisier song closes out this record with Secret Sisters and is possibly the closest moment to Joyce Manor records in the past.

To see a band progressively moving towards a particular sound for a while now - when they go fully into it is a joyous occasion. Joyce Manor have been injecting pop punk with this kind of song-writing deftness for a hot minute and with 40 Oz. To Fresno, it has become the main feature. As I said, if there was truly a pop punk revival, Joyce Manor should be leading the charge.

- Matt Lynch.