Words by: Shannon Beech
The brand new single ‘Joker’ by up-and-coming south coast indie band ‘Myriad’ is a refreshing return to the nostalgic mid-2010s vibrant and invincible alternative pop sound we all know and love.
We jump right into this track and are immediately met with jovial, fast-paced guitar riffs and drum beats; only to be described as completely mentally transporting to a time of both literal and melodic youthful freedom and excitement.
The lyrics, very candidly, tell a story of young love and adventure. Summer nights filled with aimless escapades and limerence. The track takes you straight back to that point in all our lives where we exist in paused time as carefree souls exploring relationships, and emotions and relishing in individualism.
It is an absolute homage to a genre that defined our formative years, and it captures the essence of the intent beautifully.
The song, with its undulated tone and varied pace, builds its suspense and buzz with frequent echoing and slowed verses; only to burst into its climactic and exhilarating chorus with all the force of a teen determined to sneak out of their parent’s house for a late-night summer drive under the stars with their beau.
The way it encapsulates such a specific feeling is rather mesmerising, and it certainly basks in deserving the title of a true indie hit with its depiction of a universally experienced snapshot of the adolescent experience. A pre-requisite for the genre, and one that has been nailed exponentially here.
It’s a rather short track, running just under three minutes in length. But in being so, I personally just could not stop hitting replay, shutting my eyes, and imagining myself in the passenger seat of a car speeding down the motorway; hot summer air on my skin and nothing but breezy anticipation in my heart.
It genuinely has you reeling for more, wishing it was longer so you could stay in your daydream just another minute. If anything, I’d say that’s a pretty standard feeling associated with evoking and inspiring music in an age of aesthetics, idealisation and endless musing.
It’s a fine addition to our insatiable appetite for reminiscing and fantasising for sure.
All in all, this track is something special. In an age of music that lays its focus on extravagance and possibility, I really appreciate how grounded and realised this song is. It’s real, it’s experienced, and it’s relatable in such a tenderly specific way.
True indie tunes reflect the emotion and montage of life we can all pinpoint on our own, giving meaning and purpose to those small moments in time that pass us by so quickly.
The simplicity of the message mixed with the boisterous bounce really sucks you into its story, and lets you appreciate the beauty and significance of the young, human experience.
Life imitates art, and this track is a perfectly constructed and re-emerged example of that!
The Joker is out now and available to listen to on all major streaming platforms.
Instagram: @myriadbandofficial