ALBUM REVIEW: Joyce Manor – 40oz to Fresno

Epitaph Records

Released: 10.06.22

At three minutes and six seconds, opener Souvenir might just be the band’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Rarely do their songs make it past the two minute mark, and this svelte record of nine tracks still manages to pack a sizeable punch. Frenetically propulsive, irresistibly catchy, and endearingly earnest, in many respects this is Joyce Manor by numbers – DIY, pop-inflected punk that comes barrelling in with a sense of urgent compulsion before swiftly vanishing into the ether.

To an extent, that may be to the album’s detriment. Everything here is great – highlights like NBTSA and Gotta Let It Go burn particularly fiercely – but there can be a fine line between moreish and decidedly malnourished. 40oz To Fresno is a bit like the school summer holidays of your childhood; bright, breathless fun that passes by all too quickly.