The Joy Formidable – 'Wolf's Law' album review
Read our 'Wolf's Law' album review and tell us what you think
Tue Jan 22 2013
The Joy Formidable – 'Wolf's Law'
- Rated as: 3/5
Packed with distorted guitars, thumping rhythms and sledgehammer choruses, this Welsh trio’s second album should, by rights, be a barnstorming alternative rock record – but it’s a frustrating listen. ‘Wolf’s Law’ opens with two towering singles, ‘This Ladder is Ours’ and ‘Cholla’, and follows them up with some thrashing yet brilliantly crafted tracks, particularly ‘Little Blimp’ and the super-heavy ‘Maw Maw Song’. There’s even a rare example here of a mid-album acoustic take – ‘Silent Treatment’ – that doesn’t scream ‘skip me’.
But widespread overproduction means the rest of the record blows past without making much of an impact. The songs here should have been served raw. As it they’re limp and soggy. Without any live crunch they sound like the sort of commercial and bombastic sub-Led Zeppelinisms that you’d expect from Biffy Clyro. Sadly, no matter how loud you play ‘Wolf’s Law’, it’s going to give you more bark than bite.
Y Not Festival
- Critics choice
The Horrors, The Cribs, The Darkness, Mystery Jets, Ash, The Enemy, Kids In Glass Houses, The Joy Formidable, 65DaysOfStatic, Willy Moon, The Twang, Dutch Uncles, Swim Deep, Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Dry The River, Electric Six, The 1975, Stealing Sheep, Public Service Broadcasting, Toy, Dan Croll, The History Of Apple Pie, Young Kato, Three Trapped Tigers, We Are The Ocean, Wolf Alice, The Computers, Johnny Foreigner + more. Although the first Y Not Festival took place in a quarry, it's definitely not the pits. Taking as its motto 'Small, Fresh, Loud', this ever-improving mini-fest won 'Best Small Festival' at the 2012 UK Festival Awards. This year's line-up boasts a great range of camp fun (The Darkness, Electric Six), alternative stalwarts (The Horrors, The Cribs, Ash) and rising stars (Toy, Stealing Sheep, Public Service Broadcasting). Chuck in some delicious local ales and a gorgeous sweep of Derbyshire countryside, and you've got yourself a pretty fantastic weekend.
