Fleeting Joys - Despondent Transponder

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 27 / 10 / 2007

Label: Only Forever
Format: CD

intro

Limited edition re-release of superb debut album from my Bloody Valentine-influenced shoegazing Sacramento duo, the Fleeting Joys, which has been selling on ebay for $100 a copy

Released at the start of 2006, and since then sold out and deleted, 'Despondent Transponder' has been changing hands on ebay for $100 a copy, but is now the subject of a limited edition re-release. It is easy to see why it has been attracting such a high price. Fleeting Joys are Rorika and John Loring, a duo from Sacramento, California whom have taken My Bloody Valentine as a reference point and then have moved forward with it into the 21st century with their distorted and beautiful sound. The album opens with 'The Break Up', which sounds like a grungy My Bloody Valentine during their Creation era and has a sugar rich harmony of a joint vocal. 'Lovely Crawl' is much louder and very heavy on the drums. It is again reminiscent of Creation-era My Bloodu Valentine but the vocals edge here towards that of Slowdive and Lush. 'Got Come Back' has heavy drums too start, before getting more mellow with a soft Rachel Goswell/Slowdive-style vocal from Rorika, while the guitars recall the Cure. 'I Want More Life' has a dramatic big keyboard opening. Again like the Cure in sound, it is an instrumental. 'Satellite' is again very loud, but more restrained in sound. The vocals here are much more audible. You can actually hear them here on this track whereas previously they were hard to make out. 'While I'm Waiting', is much more intense, a combination of Slowdive and a moody The Cure. 'Magnificent Oblivion' is a soft shoegazing number with very audible vocals from Rorika, distorted guitars and gentle strings possibly sampled on keyboards. 'Where Do I End' is more grungy but also has an element of Televise or a light Teenage Fanclub. 'Young Girl's Fangs', is a very short instrumental, but much darker and even Gothic. 'Patron Saint' is trippy with John and Rorika's vocals sung seperately rather than together. This track is more commercial and different in sound to the rest of this brilliant album. Worth a trip to ebay if you have a spare 100 bucks, but otherwise try hard to get a hold of this limited re-release while copies are still available.

Track Listing:-