Joe Boyd

"Promising work - lots of interesting ideas/grooves here. Strong interesting arrangements - sounds really crisp, fresh and unlike all the other records out at the moment” - Tom Robinson BBC Radio 6 Music - Tom Robinson BBC Radio 6 Music

4/5 Stars

Since his 2012 debut, Essex-based singer/songwriter Joe Boyd has been showing a class example of DIY music. First, he formed Agony & Ecstasy Records to release his LP, Totem, with which he immediately made a name for himself in the industry. He then spent the next three years accompanied by Matt Curd on bass and Cameron Morrell on drums, gathering a massive amount of airplay and live shows, playing alongside the likes of Pendulum, Groove Armada and Mark Ronson; while finding the time to release a second LP in 2013, Gutter Moon. Now that it’s about time we heard again from the trio, it comes as no surprise that their upcoming release was self-produced and self-recorded in just one day in a studio in Colchester.

And as it happens, I Survive I, which is surely meant to be read as the word ‘survive’ in pipe brackets, is everything as exciting and fresh as the Essex musician’s previous records. We get another helping of his signature spiced-up pop/rock, with an array of influences ranging from jazz to punk to ’80s rock, with extra infectious hooks and catchy riffs thrown in all throughout. As for his vocal ability, Joe Boyd has never suffered a lack of it, but in this record he seems to have grown skill-wise and we hear him experimenting with different styles and pouring his heart out like never before.

Theme-wise, Joe Boyd’s third outing seems to be a direct sequel to Gutter Moon. The singer continues to tell post-heartbreak tales: ‘Hotel Suicide’ (“Real love, I can do without it”) and ‘If I Had A Heart’ mirror the sentiment of ‘Bury My Heart’ and ‘Dine Alone’ taken off his previous LP. However, he manages to channel these feelings into perfectly balanced songs that one can easily sing along and tap to, rather than produce a string of soppy ballads; and in a strange and beautiful way, the sunken feelings of pain and rejection he sings about are compensated by lifting the mood of anyone that listens to them.

Inarguably, the album’s moments of brilliance are the beginning and ending of ‘Junk’. Its first and last 45 seconds are a piece of naked perfection, where Joe Boyd sings almost acapella of something whose lyrics may be taken as an ode to his crotch (“Junk you may be, junk you are mine”), or perhaps a blunt but genuine declaration of love. The next track, ‘Meat’, continues down the same path of raw emotions (“Don’t be afraid of someone who’s made of skin and bones”), a fact I enjoy since it reminds me of one of the most unadulterated love songs in recent music history – ‘Bones’ by The Killers (“Don’t you wanna feel my bones on your bones? It’s only natural”).

The only flaws I could find with the record were the somewhat excessive and unnecessary guitar solos, which he has the absolute right to do since he performs under his own name rather than as part of a band, but at times sounded as if he was overstating that by bragging about his skills as a guitarist. This struck me the most during ‘Junk’: the song that combines the album’s highest and lowest points. Its middle section, which consisted of otherwise alright guitar work that may have fitted perfectly anywhere else, had nothing to do with the sheer beauty of the beginning and the ending of this particular track: it was the sonic equivalent of destroying a perfectly cooked juicy burger by drowning it in barbecue sauce.

Despite such moments, I Survive I is an overall scintillating if not all throughout brilliant record, and is the perfect set of songs if you feel like rejoicing over someone else’s misery. - Gigslutz

The Camden Jazz Cafe which has played host to a number of jazz and neo-soul musicians showcased the Joe Boyd band, with Joe Boyd doing the venue proud, coming out in typical style with his Pork Pie hat and crackly rhythmic tunes.

The venue had an intimately fun atmosphere and Joe and his band played in their cool and casual style, working this well loved venue with panache. The boys started with some of their slower tracks from the 'Gutter Moon' album and moved into their more up tempo rock numbers, warming the crowd with a certain ease.

Their performance coincides with the release of their new album 'I Survive', which includes the songs “Little Hymn”, “Burn my Heart” and “The Dead of the Night “ which they played and which had the crowd stomping alongside of the band’s beats. Joe had a small posse of dedicated fans, and played up to them, proudly playing his popular track “Driver” with flair, thanking the crowd and his fans in general for the 100k plus views Driver has received on Youtube.

The Joe Boyd band’s musical styling are somewhat reminiscent of 90’s rock meets a funky smooth finish. Their songs had a certain edge and aggression fashioned with some heavy drum beats.

Overall this was a pretty good show and the Joe Boyd Band are definitely guys to watch out for in the future. This gig marked the start of their UK summer tour and had me revved to hear more songs from these guys moving forward. - Subba-Cultcha