Review: Howler - World of Joy
[Rough Trade, 2014]
Rating: 3/10
By Sarah Weingarten, Contributor
Key Tracks: “Indictment”
Howler’s second album World of Joy isn’t very joyous. The Minneapolis band straddles the line of noisy indie rock and a wannabe punk band. World of Joy is all bark and no bite. The sound quality is subpar along with its childish lyrics.
World of Joy kicks off with “Al’s Corral,” a hot mess of a song. Jordan Gatesmith, the vocalist and lead guitarist, wails about a whole lot of nothing. Gatesmith’s throaty voice grows on the listener, but the lyrics don’t.
If anything the lyrics portray the band as immature and whiny, which isn’t a positive start for World of Joy. “They tell me I have to wait / But I don’t want to wait / They tell me I have to care / But I don’t want to care / They tell me I have to choose / But I don’t want to choose / What have I got to lose?”
“Don’t Wanna” might as well be part two of “Al’s Corral.” The essence of “Don’t Wanna” is a list of things Howler doesn’t want to do. Clearly the members have preteen angst they never had the chance to release while in middle school.
“Don’t Wanna” is a toddler tantrum in song form with unfortunately shitty sound quality: “You don’t have to be anyone if you don’t want to / You don’t have to get a job if you don’t want to / You don’t have to read a book if you don’t want to / You don’t have to listen to The Smiths if you don’t want to.”
The crappy sound quality makes listening to the album a headache. Fortunately, World of Joy ends on a more bearable note, as the forced punk vibe is reduced and it heads into a post-modern rock ‘n’ roll feel.
“Indictment” still fits into the bratty, pretentious and immature atmosphere of World of Joy, but unlike the other songs, this one has potential. Maybe it’s because the lyrics are slightly more audible or the fact that “Indictment” sounds like a part of a ‘90s teen movie soundtrack. The lyrics are still shallow but are more humorous: “Dye your hair black and make your boyfriend cry,” and “She said get off the couch / You little shit / There’s more to life than bitching a fit.”
Howler has potential, but honestly, any band can have potential. Howler buys into this image of itself as an ironic noisy indie band with a middle school mindset. It isn’t working, and this is clear on World of Joy. At least the band is loyal to its sound and image all the way to the end, but it’s unfortunate for the listeners.
