Firing signal

Joliette - "Luz de bengala"
Label: Zegema Beach Records

"How much can you get caught up in your own music?"

JOLIETTE: "Yes".

Say what you will about JOLIETTE, but don't you ever question their dedication! They're a band I absoluteley respect for this reason alone, as well as for their massive energy. Though it's not like these gentlemen are throwin' their instruments around, in desperate hope to get out a serviceable riff or two. No! The band out of Mexico City, Mexico are masters at what they do. While the emotions are overfloating, JOLIETTE will always remain thinkers. Their music is well calculated and every tone is were it belongs.

Another thing that's really interesting about JOLIETTE is their evolution. It's an evolution based on impressive versatility. They started out 10 years ago with "Principia", putting themselves in the big 'ol Post-Hardcore-pigeonhole. They already showed different sites to them leaning heavily against Post-Rock and incorporating bits of Screamo and Math-/Metalcore on their debut-LP. Wether they got tired of their own sound or had some sort of concept in their heads, with the sophomore album "Atáxico" they presented their music in a completely new spotlight. Where the debut was a more lengthy affair, clocking in at 50 minutes, "Atáxico" was over at 27 minutes, with the closer swallowing 10 minutes on its own. The rest was pure Mathcore-frenzy! Some of their supporters were shocked at the sacrifice of most melodic elements. Though they made a lot of new fans with this style.

Their third and latest album "Luz Devora" then, was their "higher, faster, farther"-record. It was their most expansive record thus far, their most worked out and most versatile one too. They took something from the Melodic-/Post-Rock-aspect of their debut back, but also added some new elements. The mood of the record was as dark as the artwork and JOLIETTE built vast and beautiful soundscapes on top of it. Quite unusually, they also developed a soft spot for Screamo over the years. Which ultimately brings us to their new effort, "Luz de Bengala".

It's a 5-track-EP and their first output since 2019 (not counting their song on the "Cube"-Split last year). That's a lot of time, but it seems like JOLIETTE used it wisely, as this is their most impressive work yet. As already written, their music always was about the intensity. But somehow they added even more intensity to their intensity. They also continue their approach on Screamo, in sacrifice of the Mathcore-aspect that slowly faded over the years. Personally I won't complain about that. JOLIETTE always moved between the poles of Post-Hardcore, Post-Rock, Mathcore and Screamo and shifted priorities from release to release. Yet, no output was as cohesive as "Luz de bengala". While they still use elements from all the mentioned genres, they managed to blur all the borders and created a big soundsphere of their own. Sometimes more intense and frantic, like on the quasi-title track "Lemus", sometimes akin to beautiful Post-Rock like on "Charlotte" that elegantly floats into the epic, almost instrumental closer "XIII". That track probably is a hint at themselves, as they're in their thirteenth year of being a band now. 

What I also like about "Luz de bengala" is the length of it. "Luz Devora" -as good as it may be- was way too long for my own taste, kinda loosing me inbetween. "Luz de bengala" is 20 minutes of not wasting a minute. Only the last track is a bit lengthy, but here it absolutely makes sense and clocking in at 6 minutes, it's almost in line with the other songs. 

Everyone into music -especially musicians themselves- know how challenging it is for a seasoned band to constantly add something to their music, to stay relevant with the years. JOLIETTE did just that with "Luz de bengala", moreover delivering their best outing yet. It's a firing signal that they're not done yet after 13 long years...

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Stream on ZBR's Bandcamp