JOYNER release self titled EP

JOYNER release self-titled EP

VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/261976543

Featuring not one but two gifted singer/songwriters with vocal capabilities that rival some of the best in the game, Los Angeles, California-based dream pop unit JOYNER are just the invigorating jolt of creative adrenaline that indie rock needed this summer. Their debut extended play, JOYNER, is out May 18^th, and instead of taking the traditional route of pop acts in cutting a demo and shopping it, they’ve gone into the studio on their own and crafted four raw, daring songs certain to grab your attention.

A lot of people, especially in the indie community, often wrongfully assume that pop music has to center exclusively around plastic themes on twice-produced tracks written by a team of market experts, when in reality, that’s actually the definition of commercialized music of any genre. Good, sensitive pop is indeed hard to come by, but it’s still an actual thing. JOYNER is chasing after that spirit, and making a proverbial impact in doing so. Competently distributing a scrumptious buffet of exotic, spacey synths, mood-altering basslines, smart tempos amidst their dueling voices, sisters Summer and Torrey JOYNER (who comprise the entirety of JOYNER), demonstrate a highly refined ability to aggressively get into their songs without coming off as primitive or reckless. It’s really something to watch them navigate between love (“Baby How Was Your Day?”), identity and self-awareness (“Welcome to Your Life You’re a Star”), distance (“Blue Love”) and humble reflection (lead single “White Lights,” which was recently featured in the Freeform show Famous in Love) with intimacy and close attention to detail.

I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing a lot of new artists this year, and I definitely have heard an abundance of throwbacks and markedly similar releases that sort of blend into one another. Every day, I listen to music that tries to be something different than it is; a hybrid of influences pumped through the exact same filter that their scene contemporaries are using, and typically rendering the same, sort of bland, results. So when a record like JOYNER comes around, it really makes an impression that lasts and leaves you begging for more. The only disappointing part about this EP is probably that it’s running time (a little over a quarter hour to be exact) is that of a sample size offering, and it is clear that these two are ready for the big league. You can’t teach the kind of talent that they’ve got, it’s got to be with you from the time that you’re born, and nurtured with a tremendous degree of respect. And truly, these are the kind of slow jams that gets people motivated about the future of music.

After a massively successful first show at L.A.’s The Mint last month, fans of JOYNER are already demanding a full nationwide tour soon, and I’m curious to see what bands they end up riding alongside in their virgin expedition. Their sound could certainly compliment a post-punk lineup or even an alternative pop singer like Lorde, maybe even a straight up avant-garde road show. There’s just so many interesting directions this band could go from here, and with this first recording, they’re already off to an amazing start.

SHAZAM: https://www.shazam.com/track/412836258/white-lights

Michael Rand