Joywave’s newest album, “Possession,” dropped on March 13. It has been nearly three years since the release of their last album “Content,” when they produced their second most popular track, “It’s a Trip.” The band hasn’t changed a great deal with this collection, but that does not make it any less enjoyable.
The band starts off the album with the track “Like a Kennedy,” which relates a great deal to the state of the world and the kinds of thoughts going through people’s minds. The track goes through worries people may have, such as whether the wall would get built or if a bomb may be dropped on us at any point in time. Now, we have other worries, such as this virus. The end of the chorus states, “I just want to be fat, old and happy,” which is a line much of the world can agree with right now. Though a slightly slow start, the track was a smart start to the album.
The album continues with the track “Obsession,” which was released as a single before the release of the album. This track could also relate to what the world is going through right now through all the isolation. The track is a typical upbeat track from Joywave, focusing on the need to find a new obsession. A great deal of people could also most likely relate to the line “distraction is the only thing keeping me sealed from breaking,” as many people have been attempting to distract themselves through this time in hopes of keeping sane.
One song that stood out the most in this album was “F.E.A.R.” The track focuses on the main thing keeping people from doing things out of the ordinary in life: fear. The combination of the relatively repetitive lyrics and funky instrumentals really personifies fear itself and the way that it just keeps resurfacing throughout life, no matter how much someone may try to push it back down. Combining the convicting lyrics with the invigorating tone of the song in general really encourages people to face their fears in a tough-love sort of way.
Joywave ends the album with “Mr. Eastman,” which is a cool, mellow track to finish off the album. The song is about a man named George Eastman, who was the entrepreneur who founded the company Kodak. The cool vibe of the song really goes with the sense of success the song has to offer. The track basically emphasizes the dream of being successful and the sacrifices as well as benefits that go along with it.
Overall, Joywave did not disappoint with this album. Whether they meant to or not, a lot of the tracks in the album relate to what the world is dealing with right now in different types of ways. The band kept up their funky yet cool feel in this album, making it a great album for all types of activities during quarantine.