Punches of Joy

Item: Introduction
Author: Alex Klages

Introduction

(1997)

Reviewed by Alex Klages

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Label Day-Glo RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1999

blues rock garage rock hard rock

As indicated by the title, this album is a suitable introduction to the power trio Punches of Joy, hailing from Sweden. Introduction is an album of no-holds-barred, groove-heavy, bluesy rock music, reminiscent of the Black Crowes and the 77s. Lead singer Niclas Lofgren has a voice which at times recalls Bob Dylan, but mostly is uniquely and distinctly his own. It is not a pretty voice, but it perfectly suits the music. Lyrically, the album is pretty straightforward, without much imagery. On the whole the lyrics seem to be a conversation between the band and God anyway, so the lack of symbolism is not disappointing.

There are a couple minor annoyances; the track list on the back cover of the CD case has several of the tracks in the wrong spots. Fortunately it is fairly easy to figure out which song is which, so after a couple listens that becomes a non-issue. The other annoyance is the way the final track, "Weakness," stops cold as if there had been another verse that was suddenly cut from the song. While appropriate for a song called "Weakness," the abrupt end does not sit right. Stronger tracks include "The Giant," "Come Back," and "Sail, Don't Drift," all of which are catchy and suitably noisy. Overall, the album's kind of punchy, but joyful.

4 tocks