Concert Review: Joy Again Show Depression Is Something Music Can Face

Joy Again is, without irony, the music for the depressed. The intensity of their sound and lyricism is laser focused on the darkness you carry that, at times, only music feels safe enough to acknowledge. From verses like “cutting off my arm” and “ please use my rotting flesh”, it was interesting to see a crowd connect so deeply to songs that cut so deeply, as well.

There were definitely moments when Joy Again’s self-destructive words or the punches of their guitars made me want to say, “Are you okay?”. Yet, that is the point of their music; to make you reflect. They know what it is like to be in a sinkhole of sadness and wait for joy again. My focus was particularly drawn to lead singer Arthur whose platinum blonde hair and distinct voice could make him standout in a crowd of millions. Yet, my draw came from how personal his lyrics were to him. Pass the constant audio issues that plagues their guitar and a humorous “baby-talk” bit, lied tracks like “On A Farm”, “Kim”, and “Looking Out For You” he physically and sentimentally delved into the human eagerness to either destroy itself to feel again or succumb to numbness. As I looked around, the crowd was head-banging and smilingly swaying to their music as if they knew what it felt like to not know whether to cry or smother yourself with a pillow. Of course, that may sound like a grim thought, but Joy Again shadows happier notes with sincerely dark ones. Their music played like lullabies that had been put through a shredder and pieced together for twisted versions of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ”. Any key that was bright or vocal note that was soft was soon followed by a welt of emotional tumult, but, again, this was far from a bad thing.

I am a firm believer that music heals, and some people need to hear their darkness to then confront it. From self-medicating to self- sabotaging, Joy Again were 100% unabashed speaking to the ugliness of inner pain, which I admired. There is no point in making ugly pretty; it is like putting a band-aid over an amputated limb. ( Again, their imagery; not mine!) Yet, it is a poignant, gruesome look into truth. Sometimes, you can feel like walking oblivion, and Joy Again actually do bring joy again by saying, “Hey, I feel the same!”. For More Information On Joy Again Click Here.