I first heard of The Overjoyed after seeing them advertised as headliner for a pop punk all-dayer at the New Cross Inn in 2017. I didn't actually know them at the time but the rest of the line-up was incredible and that's what made us go along. I found myself very impressed with the Greek four piece though. In January this year, the band released a brand new album – their second full length titled Aced Out. Having been so impressed with them previously and knowing how highly thought of the band are among many of my friends, I was keen to check it out.
The album begins with Big Red Rocket Ship. Beginning with a pounding drum beat and a short stabby vocal style, the opening of Aced Out hits with you quite a punch. The energy on this first track really got me pumped up for the whole album. It's fast paced buzzsaw pop punk that quickly had me wanting to lose my mind in a pit but I had to settle for having a bit of a head bang in my living room. Up next is the title track, Aced Out. Starting out with The Overjoyed's lead singer Leo slowly singing the chorus before bassist Thanos does his best Matt Freeman impression and off we go with a fast and melodic punk track about being the first to go your own way despite potentially letting people down. I really enjoyed the section of the song when things get really slowed down, with a style that is kind of like chanting but with only Leo singing – that will make more sense when you listen to the song. This section eventually picks up some speed and leads into a crazy finish.
#Beach is the title of the third song. This fast paced track has an upbeat and cheery sound but is actually about struggling with some mental health problems and avoiding going out and seeing your friends. The Overjoyed do that wonderful thing of having a 90s era pop punk sound but modernising it to give it a fresh feel. The fourth song on Aced Up is She Has Everything. This is a slower paced track but is catchy as hell. The slower tempo gives the song more emotion and I found myself hanging on every word that Leo sang as he tells a tale of finding yourself in a relationship with someone who is motivated to the point of being unrealistic with what they want and what you have will never be enough. The harmonies during the chorus were a big highlight in the song for me, as was the nod to Rancid in the lyric "and let's sing our hearts out to, ...And Out Come The Wolves, playing on the stereo." The Overjoyed released the fifth track Strays On A Leash as a single in December. Continuing with the nods to punk rock legends, on the third line of the song Leo sings out "Drublicly punk" – obviously a little tip of the cap to NOFX. The track is about going to the punk show with your best friends after a hard week and leaving all your problems at the door. The song talks about how all the people who might seem like misfits can find their home at the punk rock show.
The second half of Aced Out begins with the song Broken Trampoline. This song shows off the skate punk side of The Overjoyed's sound, starting out with some super fast guitars and a fantastic drum beat that really drives the song forward. When the vocals come in, it sounds as if Leo is straining which gives even more urgency to the track. The song is littered with some very subtle "aaaah" harmonies that give the song a bigger sound. Broken Trampoline is about being prepared to take risks and fall down with your friends so they're not alone. Up next is the reggae pop punk track Something's Undone. This is one of my favourite songs on the album. I loved the reggae style that opened the song, giving the album a bit of a shake up before launching into a superbly catchy punk song. The chorus is such a highlight and I can already imagine a big crowd singing the lines "something's undone, where does it come from?, it's no more fun, being in denial, go on and kill those fucking lights, it's now or never, something is undone call it a night, it's now or never" back at the band. I also enjoyed how the band chose to bookend the song by going back to the short reggae section to finish the song.
The eighth song on the album is named Defanged. I really enjoyed the beginning part of the song, reminding of some old school rock 'n' roll but done in a punked up fashion. Kind of like The Kings Of Nuthin' or more recently The Bar Stool Preachers. This soon moves into a straight forward skate punk style that gives the overall Overjoyed sound more of a mature sound. The penultimate song is titled Ode To 3.5mm Minijack which is an instrumental track. I must admit I did find it a bit odd to have an instrumental song as the second to last song on Aced Out but it's a fine piece of music that does lead very nicely into the final song, Is Unresponsive. Wasting no time in getting started, The Overjoyed are joined by a gentleman by the name of Orfeas P on this track. This is the hardest hitting song on the album with Orfeas providing a much harsher vocal to give the track a sharper edge. There are times on the track where it had me thinking of a Billy Talent song my friend used to play me. The song is about how the overuse of social media can have an effect on you mentally if you see everyone else seemingly having a better time that you. This song is a stunning way to finish a superb album.
I was expecting some really good things from Aced Out but I was well and truly blown away. This is the first full length album from 2019 I have reviewed and it has set the standard really high for anyone else releasing full lengths this year.
Stream and download Aced Out here: https://theoverjoyed.bandcamp.com/
Like The Overjoyed here: https://www.facebook.com/theoverjoyed/
This review was written by Colin Clark.
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