Review Summary: Soaring above a crowded scene with flying colors.
The art of crafting a musical album is no different than the process of formulating a conventional invention: try as hard as one might, rarely does a first attempt at publishing a concept go completely and totally according to plan. There were a lot of broken limbs and lost lives before the airplane could truly take flight in any commercial capacity, not unlike the number of sacrificed drumsticks and leisure time spent towards recording a full-length, though hopefully without serious injury outside of mental strain. It seems appropriate to mention aviation specifically as the procedure behind album distribution is akin to strapping together paper wings, climbing to the apex of a nearby hillside, and taking a leap. Errant wind currents—a lack of press or otherwise bad publicity—might deter the venture, or a potential fault could be found in the device’s construction and it falters. All the while, the eyes of the world watch on, silently or not-so-silently passing judgment. Joliette’s entrance into the market,
Principia, managed to soar quite high owing to its intense post-hardcore contents, but it perhaps overstayed its welcome in the sky and slowly dwindled down as time passed. True to the inventor’s spirit, the Mexican quartet returned to the drawing board to make adjustments; the result came three years later in the form of
Atáxico wherein the duration of the prior disc was nearly halved, leading to shorter tracks immersed in chaotic instrumentation. The stunning onslaught nevertheless proved too brief and spiraled out of control due to an absence of restraint or strong memorability. So the series repeats—reset, redraw, try again—and the band emerges into the densely-populated release cycle of 2019 to try and definitively cut out a slice of the proverbial pie for themselves. The third time turns out to be the charm;
Luz Devora demonstrates that Joliette have thoroughly perfected their sound and certainly deserve all praise coming their way.
Unlike previous entries,
Luz Devora does not lean on one specific cornerstone of post-hardcore in order to earn its title as a flying ace. The confrontational nature of
Atáxico and the more subdued, textured approach offered by
Principia are linked in harmony. Central melodies dominate individual tracks to provide them with distinguishable personalities, the instrumental performances boasting commendable technical mastery of the craft, simultaneously exhibiting a willingness to scale back and let the quiet reign—if only for a time. This captivating mixture stands outside the progressive sector ala A Lot Like Birds and their ilk; the sounds contained in the over-50-minute disc seem reminiscent of an older age where the underground was locked down by Portraits of Past. Minus the emo influences, the comparison appears to be appropriate: a hazy production quality accentuates the pounding heaviness, guitars freely dance throughout a variety of different passages—some purely hardcore, some similar to post-metal installments—and the rhythm section retains powerful command over the escalation of intensity and the always-important low end. Whatever a tune calls for, be it crushing, abrasive assaults or high-speed exertions, the percussion kit is more than able to rise to the task. At the forefront lies a passionate, desperate vocal performance that is positively fueled by unlimited energy from start to finish. That being said, no individual member outshines another, which speaks greatly to Joliette’s ability to place creative songwriting above any desires to sprint off on wayward solos or otherwise purposeless sweeps. Everything runs very smoothly under the foggy blanket laid down in the recording studio.
What inevitably makes the greatest difference is the heightened impact delivered by the post-rock and post-metal tendencies. Joliette flirted with these sorts of elements before without really committing to their full inclusion in their identity. Any lingering reticence is thoroughly disposed of—if the two concluding numbers, 7 minutes and 10 minutes long respectively, weren’t already an indication. By paying closer attention to the construction of their output piece-by-piece, the unit behind
Luz Devora ensures that all included ingredients are balanced and coalesce to become a unique product. The tonality and mood ebbs and flows between rage-induced outbursts and emotional epics grounded in more subtle, textured manners. This dichotomy is best illustrated by the brief “Muletilla Japonesa” and the not-so-brief finale “Defenestra.” The former is ruled by a frantic duel-guitar blitz, the drums racing ahead as penetrating screams laced with anger chase them down. After an expertly-achieved syncopated shift, Joliette manage to augment the near-busting level of force captured by the sub-three-minute opus, the leading strings adopting a haunting, siren tone, gradually winding down in an absolutely devastating breakdown. The latter track announces itself softly through gentle strumming and hushed percussion, a clean melody guiding the progression. After four minutes of laying down a foundation, Joliette amp up the discord, the guitars implementing a dirtier resonance as the vocals raise ever higher to spill out the narrator’s grievances. The climax begins its final engagement as a mournful passage repeats in the background, the instruments receding bit-by-bit until the last remnants of the titanic track are nothing but static. Each of these examples, regardless of length, end up speaking volumes.
Incorporating a level relationship between post-hardcore’s trademark virtuosity and post-rock’s knack for atmospheric detailing further contributes to wonderful variance between songs. For each “Muletilla Japonesa” there is a corresponding opposite—”Júpiter Jovial” ‘s reduced pace, coupled alongside a reoccurring weighty post-metal riff, is definitely one such instance, just the same as “Strathos” ‘s gorgeous ambiance. Similarly, “Defenstra” is accompanied by the unbridled beast “Lázaro” and its speaker-shattering tempo. The listener must also reckon with lead single “Vac*o,” which arguably sports the most addicting melody present on the record, helped in no small part by an insane drumming outing that freely changes from light tapping to thunderous beatdowns. There is no doubt left to linger concerning Joliette’s position in the post-hardcore scene and their burgeoning rise to prominence in the underground; nor is there any room for critique when conversing about their skills as musical entrepreneurs. The audience beholds instead an unwavering belief that the intrepid Mexican group have taken stock of their inventory, moved a step back to view the full picture, and acted accordingly to equal the sum of their parts. More than anything else,
Luz Devora is the sound of a band coming together, fully realizing their objective and what defines them as an artist. When surrounded by fellow assemblies that comfortably adhere to a status quo, there is little else quite as satisfying as witnessing a compelling evolution from newcomer to inarguable genre heavyweight. The men of Joliette are more composed than ever before. Whether it be through sheer sonic bulk or beautiful strokes of instrumentation, these gents are infinitely capable at grabbing one’s attention and never letting go.
