Over the last 15 years, Signature Sounds have been at the forefront of independent acoustic American music, gaining a reputation for supporting young upcoming acts such as Crooked Still, Eilen Jewell, Mark Erelli and more.  The release of Joy Kills Sorrow’s first album for Signature is likely to add to their reputation as ‘Darkness Sure Becomes This City’ is not only one of the finest acoustic modern American folk albums, but it feels like an important release that marks the arrival of a special group of fresh, young musicians.
You could loosely categorise Joy Kills Sorrow as Americana in that they merge influences from bluegrass and folk, but it’s all mixed in with hints of Celtic, jazz, indie rock and more to create a sound that is as refreshingly unique as it is familiar – it certainly breaks with tradition, but in the same breath has more than a nod to the music that has gone before it.  The Boston-based five piece are obviously all well versed in traditional American music and have respect for the history of the material, but they also have an equal love of contemporary music and on this album it all comes together on this fantastic eleven track album.
They released a debut album a couple of years ago, but several band members later, Joy Kills Sorrow have settled on a line-up of some if the country’s finest young talent with a host of awards and accolades behind them that range from national flat picking champion to 2008 Canadian Folk Awards Young Performer of the year, to a winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.  On paper they look like they should be something special, but the resulting collection of songs is even better!
Vocalist Emma Beaton has a naturally soulful voice that is as comfortable with a band backing her as it is acapella; and Jacob Jolliff is as fine and exciting mandolin player as you could wish to hear (and that includes the legends Grisman & Marshall).  Beaton & Jolliff with the banjo of Wesley Corbett provide much of the colour on the disc, but the guitar work of Matthew Arcara and bass of Bridget Kearney are vitally important to the overall quality and much of the overall shape and sound of Joy Kills Sorrow comes from the songwriting style and overall arrangements of Kearney.
The album is a sequence of great songs, all with a slightly different flavour and just a little outside of what you expect, and that’s the beauty of ‘Darkness Sure Becomes This City’, it’s never quite what you expect and after a few listens it becomes apparent this is an important and striking collection of modern American acoustic music.  Absolutely not to be missed!

1 Kill my Sorrow
2 Books
3 New Shoes
4 Send me a Letter
5 Thinking of You and Such
6 Get up and Go
7 We Will Have Our Day
8 All the Buildings
9 You Will Change Me
10 If it's Raining
11 You Make Me Feel Drunk

£12.99 (released Feb 2010)