Idle Joy’s second album, Your Stars, is straight rock-n-roll. There’s no affectation, waffling, or masquerading of any genre; just rock-n-roll. The California band’s debut eponymous album was released in 2019 just after changing their name from Mendonesia, which was lead singer Tom Conneely’s original solo project. Conneely started performing under that moniker in San Francisco and recorded Mendonesia in 2016 before partnering with guitarist Daniel Lavezzo. After releasing their collaborative Spirit Van in 2018, Conneely and Lavezzo decided to share songwriting roles and solidify a band. So, in 2018, Mendonesia became Idle Joy.
After a successful stint in the Bay Area and risking the brand switch, they are no strangers to change. Never letting circumstances limit their drive, they recently took another bold step in relocating to Los Angeles.
The first song “Neighbors” sums up their mentality: I don’t care what the neighbors say / They think I’m crazy anyway / Oh, I wonder who’s right. The lyrics elicit both an abandon and consideration which is matched in their musicality. It’s all about attitude. That charisma sustains throughout the entirety of the eight-song LP.
The drums are steady, with great endurance, almost like he could’ve kept going for another two sessions. The bass walks here and there with a charming swagger. There are two clean guitars chugging away with intermittent zestful solos and riffs containing a nice balance of playfulness and aggression. What stitches together each of the songs however are the soulful and impressive vocals with background oohs and ahhs spiced in reverb.
“Your Light Is Right” is a thoughtful, moving song both in lyrics and chords. Along with the lyrics, the chords are unique without pretension. The final song, “Evangeline” kicks off with a clever guitar harmony that stretches out into a catchy melody. The highlight was “Drive Home.” With a compelling vocal performance, it demonstrates that sagacious moment when one finds beauty in loss.
Your Stars is a strong showing of common vision and style. Idle Joy sounds like a cohesive unit, not two songwriters sharing the same band to perform their own songs. Despite this, it could certainly be longer and demonstrate the versatility proved in previous LPs and live performances.
