I was all set to review this Strokes side-project (it features drummer Fab Moretti) with another standardised rant about young people (“they think they’re going to live longer than me, but they’re not”), and how derivative and jaded garage rock is these days (“in my day garage rock were all fields etc”). I even had a few choice words about Mr. Moretti’s bandmate’s name (“her name is Binki? What is she? A rabbit!? etc”).
Well, it turns out I like Little Joy. It’s got a lovely old fashioned pop feel, conjuring up the spirit of Paul McCartney, the Andrews Sisters and sometimes the Velvet Underground songs Mo Tucker sang, but all filtered through the prism of DIY indie rock. And the guitars sound a little like ukuleles, and the vocals sound like Steve Malkmus after two or three crooning lessons. Oh and I know Fab Moretti’s probably ten years older than me or something, but with joints like these everyone seems young.