United Sounds Of Joy is the wonderful new collaboration between Michael J. Sheehy and former Dream City Film Club bandmate Alex Vald.
“Don’t call it a reunion” spits Michael J Sheehy “…we’re not even a band in the traditional fashion”. Dream City Film Club were signed to Beggars Banquet within a year of forming in 1995, released an album and recorded two Peel sessions before Vald was unceremoniously kicked out. “Alex was dismissed because he was the only decent human being in the band”, says Sheehy, “we were intent on dismantling the band from the off, everyone was pulling in different directions, each with his own very particular variety of personality disorder, drug abuse or mental illness, and if all that stuff hadn’t of got us then I’m sure we would have buckled beneath the weight of our very lofty pretensions.”
Almost two decades removed from each other’s musical energies, Vald and Sheehy have reunited to craft some heart-rending, mind-bending music. Coming on like Joe Meek and Goldfrapp entangled in some ancient machinery, the first listen track ‘The Sun That Hides A Darker Star’ (below) is a magnificent, shimmering sound that was made available as a free download via United Sounds of Joy’s website last August. Amongst others, Lauren Laverne picked up on the track, with regular spins, making it her MPFree, and describing it as: “If David Cronenberg directed a spaghetti western, we reckon it would feel a little like this.” Featuring contributions from Fiona Brice and Gemma Ray, the album is full of alluring, devious pop noir, the songs immersed in an eerie, crepuscular pool of fuzzy and warmly welcoming psychedelics.
Their self-titled debut album is out now on Bronze Rat Records.
