It is uncommon, if not unheard of, for a side project to reach the level of success of the band that initially shot a musician to fame. Enter Fabrizio Moretti, well-known as the drummer of the alternative rock outfit The Strokes. As The Strokes have been on something of a hiatus following the release of their most recent studio album, 2006's First Impressions of Earth, Moretti has used the time to follow his own path. That path has led to the creation of Little Joy, a collaboration between Moretti, songwriter Binki Shapiro, and guitarist Rodrigo Amarante of Brazil's Los Hermanos. Though Little Joy is new on the scene, if its self-titled debut album is any indication, the band has a long career ahead of them.
The album, released this week, is a breath of fresh air from most of today's modern rock. At its core, Little Joy rejects complexity and extravagance; the end result can only be described as pleasant. The majority of the tracks are simplistic, with little more than two instruments picking out notes over the beat of a drum, and a number of tracks scratch the idea of drums all together. Little Joy draws from a variety of influences, ranging from 1950s pop to Spanish acoustic guitar, separating Little Joy from its contemporaries. This diversity of influence is manifested in the album's first track, "The Next Time Around," a ukulele-driven song that comes across as an odd mixture; think Blue Hawaii meets indie rock.
Lyrically, Moretti is no T.S. Eliot, though it's not for lack of trying. Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men" is referenced toward the end of "No One's Better Sake": "So is this how it ends, oh, with a whimper in the place of a bang?" Though overall Little Joy will win no awards for its lyrics, the occasional brilliant line does shine through; most of the lyrics, however, should be taken with a grain of salt. With an album like the one Little Joy has put out - where the music hovers between new-age doo-wop and old-time radio - the words shouldn't be taken too seriously.
The positive vibes which permeate Little Joy have the compelling power to soothe; this is the sort of album that one would want to both fall asleep and wake up to. Switching between upbeat and pensive, featuring both male and female vocals, the tracks on this album flow like a cool breeze. Moretti allows himself to be new and different, while never losing sight of his alternative roots. The influence of The Strokes is always in the distance, but never to the point that Little Joy becomes redundant or an imitation. The band has achieved something special here; Little Joy is a refreshingly welcome addition to any rock collection. B+
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