Mt. Joy’s self-titled debut album evokes the feeling of a lazy Sunday afternoon in the summertime. It is a feel-good album filled with upbeat songs and meaningful lyrics. Themes of love, nostalgia and overcoming adversity span the album’s 13 songs and under 45-minute runtime.
Falling in the genre of Indie Folk, Mt. Joy has beautiful instrumentals strewn throughout their work. The use of dynamics in “Sheep” allows Mt. Joy to emphasize their message of speaking up against inequality and hate. The song starts off very soft, with only very light guitar playing, but gradually builds in volume, eventually leading to a strong final chorus.
The opening song of the album, “I’m Your Wreck,” describes the songwriter’s own personal struggles with anxiety. The lyrics, “Every phone call I’m pacing the halls / Am I the only one that sleeps with the TV on / and ‘I’m good’ feels better than ‘I’m hanging on,’” hit close to home for a lot of people. Even though the author has fallen into a time of bad mental health, his partner is always there for him. The chorus of the song repeats the line “I’m a wreck,” which goes to show how even if he is a mess, someone is by his side to support him. The artist doesn’t have to struggle alone, but can work through things and get better because of his significant other.
Themes of love are heavy throughout numerous songs on the album. The song “Mt. Joy” uses imagery of a great mountain to relate to overcoming obstacles in a relationship refers to the idea that no matter what he might struggle with, his partner will always be there to provide stability to their relationship. A sailor needs an anchor to keep their boat in place, just like how the author needs their partner in order to feel the excitement and passion within their relationship. In “St. George,” Mt. Joy questions the meaning of relationships, asking, “Who would you die for? Who would you lie for? Is she laying in your arms?”
In the last track of the album, Mt. Joy depicts what it feels like to be in a failing relationship. The song, “Younger Days,” is my personal favorite by the band. Seeing the future of his relationship, the author knows there are only two ways it can play out. His partner “could be the flame that burns out” or “could turn and burn it down.” Along with the bittersweet situation the author is in, the song also evokes feelings of nostalgia. He wants to escape the confinement of their sad relationship. The repetition of the phrase, “If you worry, don’t worry ‘bout me,” present in the final third of the song serves as the author’s way of reassuring his partner that she shouldn’t stay in the relationship just for him, but instead break free and be happy living her life.
Overall, I think that “Mt. Joy” is a spectacular album. I would recommend listening to it if you like artists such as Noah Kahan, The Lumineers or Caamp.
