Unsupervised
Out Of The Past, 2021
8/10
An Arkansas outfit spearheaded by Joe Yoder and Dave Hoffpauir, who are both social workers that couldn’t stop discussing music at their jobs, the pair welcomed Andy Warr, Steve Blevins, and Gaines Fricke, who are all healthcare professionals, to what would become Joe And The Feels.
Sidelined from playing live due to Covid after just one show, the quintet hunkered down to record this debut album, where songs about relationships, marginalized characters, and, not so surprisingly, mental health arrive.
“Beef” starts the listen with a firm retro rock approach that’s not short on melody as smooth singing and crisp percussion add much to the timeless climate, and “Concrete Sofas” follows with warm keys accenting the thoughtful, soulful brand of rock that you can’t help but sing-along to.
In the middle, “Lifeline” thumps and charges with power and melody meeting at a very nostalgic place, while “Easy Now” emits spirited guitar lines amid punchy drumming in an anthemic setting that’s both gritty and tuneful. “Till We Enter The Dirt”, one of the album’s best, then mixes a dynamic rhythm section with keys and horns in a festive atmosphere.
Nearing the end, “Our Story” offers a bare setting that’s vocally eloquent and with female pipes present that builds into an emotive, even cathartic display, and “The Bear & The Wolf” exits the listen with the band’s multifaceted version of rock that’s got some power-pop and alt-rock embedded in its precise charm.
A record that might get you digging out your Pavement or Matthew Sweet records, Joe And The Feels often take nods to early ‘90s college rock and ‘80s power pop while still being quite relative to the current indie-rock scene. A very solid first effort, Yoder and company are doing the long history of top notch independent music from Little Rock proud, and I would expect future efforts to reach Chino Horde level greatness.
Travels well with: Teen Creeps- Forever; The Persian Leaps- Bicycle Face