Pigeonholing a band is easy, just like saying a style of music is one genre, then moving on. Mt. Joy gets called folk a lot, but they’re so much more than that. Like artists in the vein of Lord Huron and The Head and the Heart, Mt. Joy takes folk and adds more to it, crafting something altogether different all over their latest release.

There’s a mass to the opening notes on “I’m Your Wreck,” in many ways it reminds you of a more soulful Tom Petty or a more story driven Deer Tick. Is this folk music, it is in so many ways. But the truth is that Mt. Joy is closer to bands like Wilco and My Morning Jacket, where there’s folk notes, but also much more. The song breaks down to an almost R&B tempo and offers a new breath of life into the sound. This continues on “Silver Lining,” where the band starts one way and finishes another. If Mt. Joy is straight folk, it sure sounds heavier than that, taking each track to a higher space than where it begins.

Tracks that standout are the bluesy “Bigfoot,” the tender “Julia,” and the groovy “Astrovan,” all deterring away from the folk moniker. Mt. Joy has the ability to take a song wherever they want, and they do so with ease all over this self-titled release. There’s even a couple of slow burners that stand out, especially the track “St. George,” where the song doesn’t hurry and offers some of the most hefty vocals of the entire album. Mt. Joy is a band at the beginning of something larger, and this record is where it all begins.

You can stream Mt. Joy on all platforms, you can grab it from all digital storefronts, or buy it in various formats and bundles from Dualtone Music Group. You can catch Mt. Joy in person tonight at House of Blues in Houston, Texas all the way until January 27 at The Broadberry in Richmond, Virginia. A full list of tour dates can be found here. 

Image Credits: Photo by Matt Everitt.