I’m not sure when Joyful Underwear officially started. Somewhere Between is their first official EP, but I found live videos from a year ago and covers on YouTube from three years ago. But it actually doesn’t matter because Somewhere Between showcases the band perfectly and highlights the British rock and indie rock mixed music.
“Hello” will have to be their first song at every single show. It’s the band’s introduction. With lines like:
“Hello, nice to meet you
We are fucking cool band”
What can you say? “Hello” pulls you into the mixed genre sound. The main melody has a distinct British rock tone with the rhythm section adding indie rock and elements of blues together. It’s kind of surprising that all of Joyful Underwear’s songs are over four minutes with “Hello” spanning over five minutes. The longest song, “Waves,” surpasses seven minutes.
Overall, Somewhere Between is seven seconds short of 26 minutes long. And Joyful Underwear takes advantage of every second. With English-language songs, it’s easy to enjoy. “Underwear” is, honestly, kind of a stupid song in subject matter, but the arrangement is great.
Song subject aside, the instrumentation and song arrangements are amazing. I think there’s a lot of experience between the members because these songs don’t come across like first-time recordings. And while there’s a baseline style choice, I think each member has a wide music preference that comes into play during song creation.
“Waves” mixes that beachside indie rock with shoegaze. The seven-plus minute track time allows appreciation for every verse. Then closing Somewhere Between with “Farewell and Far Away” is the companion to “Hello.” Ignoring the track title, it has a similar style while leaning into grunge and harder rock.
Somewhere Between might seem like a simple debut EP on the surface, but listening through the five songs and it’s clear that there’s something under the surface. This is an impressive release and there’s huge potential for a follow up EP or full length.
Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music
Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.