Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, the band known as Sorority Noise has been rapidly building a name for themselves since their formation in 2013. Driven by guitars, the band’s sound can best be described as a mix of strong melodies, emotional vocals, and equally emotional lyrical content. Consisting of members from the bands such as New Hampshire’s Old Gray and New Jersey’s Prawn, Sorority Noise is made up of Cameron Boucher (guitar/vocals), Ryan McKenna (bass/vocals), Adam Ackerman (guitar/vocals), and Charlie Singer (drums). Releasing their debut full-length album Forgettable in 2014, the band wasted no time following up with their sophomore effort in 2015, releasing Joy, Departed. Released on June 13th via Top Shelf Records, Joy, Departed is ten songs combining for a thirty-five minutes journey into a sea of feelings. Mixed by Matt Baltrucki and Boucher himself, the record also features production by Boucher.
The song “Blissth” is the opening track of the album, starting things out slow and soft. Along with thoughtful and sad lyrics, it is a mellow song with a single tone that is amplified with ambient guitars toward its closing. Followed by “Corrigan,” Boucher continues to sing the lyrics with a soft voice before a Punk vibe sets in for the chorus and awakens the listener from a trance. The exhibits a little more energy, but still remains very dark in its approach. On “Fluorescent Black,” Boucher follows the guitar melody almost in unison as the guitar and vocals flow through the verse. The roomy nature of the guitars highlight the song as strings by Mike Underwood add atmosphere.
Moving along, “Nolsey” has a strong bass line from McKenna that sets in almost immediately after the song begins. The ’90s Alternative Rock feel of the song makes it one of the most upbeat on the album early on. Joy, Departed continues with “Your Soft Blood,” a song with quite a lot of breaks in the rhythm and abrupt pauses. Clocking in at just over five minutes, it is the second longest piece on the record, and with that, allows the band time to create a sensational vibe. Then, just like that, the record takes a turn for a brighter sound on the upbeat “Art School Wannabe.” With a rhythm to tap along to, this is the only lyrically lighter moment of the album.
Bringing the tempo right back down is the slower and smoother “Fuschia.” A calm song that has great arrangements, Ruby Nightingale joins Boucher, adding a deeper texture along with the acoustic guitar and distant piano. A little more catchy,“Using” is one which may get listeners singing along. With an addictive rhythm on the verses and a loud chorus, “Using” is a firecracker among the more introspective tracks on the album. Then there is “Mononokay” which lets the listener wonder about the seriousness of the band, and wondering is Sorority Noise really as Emo as one may think? Certainly a song to dig into, it is nice to see a band not taking themselves too seriously. This leads into the album’s lengthiest cut of “ When I See You (Timberwolf),” which is slow and mellow once again. With sad lyrics, the composition builds gradually as harmonized vocals dance over it all, paste the midway point, before almost Shoegaze like guitars close out the album.
Sorority Noise created a mellow and sad album with Joy, Departed. The lyrics are desperate, apologizing, and almost drowning in self-pity at points. When the listener pays attention to some of the lyrics, one might sometimes wonder if the album is a homage to all the Emo bands out there. Listeners have to decide for themselves how to take this album. With that said, it surely is no party album one could dance to. While slightly depressive, Joy, Departed is an album well-worth checking out for a band that has a lot of potential for the future. CrypticRock gives this album 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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