No Joy: Motherhood | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- With a full five years since their last studio album, one would be quite justified in pondering what Canadian shoegaze outfit No Joy have up their sleeves in 2020. A slight clue comes in the 2018 EP they worked on with former Spacemen 3 member Sonic Boom, which redirected their dreamy melodies towards a thick blend of electronica and experimental noise. This sense of adventure also accompanies new album Motherhood, but it’s also a far more conclusive statement that not only summarises the guitar/synth blends they have already dabbled in, but adds a few more colours in the process.

According to press material, there is an accidental resemblance in tone between this album and the identically-titled book by Sheila Heti which ponders the conflict of desire for creativity versus desire for motherhood. Principal songwriter Jasamine White-Gluz found the parallels uncanny, but the album remains firmly her own story.

To underline the band’s development, lead single Birthmark opens the album with its blend of fuzz-drenched guitar with solid dance beats backed by flurries of percussion. Perhaps the most disorienting moment is the death growls at the beginning of Dream Rats, featuring her sister Alissa, best known for bellowing in extreme metal institution Arch Enemy. But this searing intro wanders effortlessly into a supremely catchy dream pop tune and the transition inexplicably just works. Nothing Will Hurt blends slap bass, dance beats and a slight post-punk edge that somehow resembles The XX and Hatchie at the same time. Meanwhile, the scuzzy guitars at the beginning of Four evoke the post-Velvet Underground jams of German nutters Faust, then a sleek beat transforms the tune into gliding trip hop, before the guitars and drums barrel in for a big finale.

The closest White-Gluz gets to the traditional No Joy sound is in the chiming guitars and fuzz of Signal Lights, but it’s quite clear the aim of the record is to showcase a more sonically adventurous palate. That’s not to say the guitars and shoegaze elements aren’t part of the sound, but they often combine with other musical elements, such as the track Fish which blends thick layers of distortion with an almost European film score atmosphere.

Perhaps the record’s loveliest song, however, is Primal Curse, a personal journey which White-Gluz models into a track that just builds and builds over its four minutes, as vocals play off each other and guitars, synths and drums disappear into a hazy, orange horizon.

The ultimate result is an album that is adventurous and daring, yet also heartfelt and accessible. Oh yeah, and give it a go with headphones, you won’t regret it.

- Matt Thrower.