The Joy Formidable + Flock of Dimes | Tracks

“Wolf’s Law”
The Joy Formidable 

The Joy Formidable nearly gave us a concussion at Lollapalooza last year. That’s in no small part due to Ritzy Bryan, whose dainty appearance belies her ferocious stage presence. Before long, the wee Wales native was destroying a gong with her guitar amid merciless double kick drum blasts, a testament to the power of juxtaposition. Not only is “Wolf’s Law” a teaser for the London trio’s second LP, it’s a plain old tease. Stripped of the thick rhythm section that clobbered us last summer, it starts instead with a spare piano intro. “I’m your friend not your guard,” sings a near-trembling Bryan, who sounds as if she’s about to have a meltdown. No need to console her though. Soon she’s pounding away at those keys, building to a grandiose crescendo that quickly reaches IMAX scale. In less than a minute the song has swelled into a victory soundtrack, a cyclone of synths, bass and drums that hits like a head rush. And like that it’s gone, faded away nearly as fast as it arrived. Oh, and it’s not on the new album of the same name. Like we said, it’s a tease.