JOLLY

After the sound odyssey of the two installments of "The Audio Guide to Happiness", Jolly returned six years later with the long-awaited "Family".

And for my taste, it is his most mature, focused and enjoyable album. Mixing again influences that go through alternative rock, electronic and the most raw heavy metal, Jolly are able to surprise the listener with an excellent collection of songs.

Anadale's distinctive voice sounds better than ever, and the production is clean, heavy and nuanced. It's a shame that a group like this doesn't have a higher recognition!

In any case, it seems that they are going to release a new album soon? I can't wait to hear it! I'm sure it will be as genuine and unclassifiable as ever.

Best Tracks: Lie to Me (perfect to start the album, with a great chorus), Lazarus (in my opinion it's the best song they've written. Good space-heavy, with incredible guitars), Ava (a unique song, original and tremendously representative of the style of this band), Let Go (10 minutes of pure heavy-prog ecstasy), Circuit Heaven (another dynamic, fun song with a curious circus touch)

My Rating: ****

JOLLY is a group of pop-prog pulling the MUSE wanderings of RADIOHEAD, THE MISSION of, and KILLING JOKE one side. Oceansize of FAITH NO MORE or PORCUPINE TREE RIVERSIDE other hand, PARADISE LOST, of LEPROUS or KILLING JOKE latest version (in heavier sound) between the two sides! JOLLY done so in the prog-rock-alternative or metal-prog, if not done JOLLY JOLLY. 2009 beginner group, revealed in my ears with "The Audio Guide To Happiness vol.1" and heady pace, innovative and captivating! JOLLY which has therefore 6 years to release his fourth album, using a participatory platform patreon which meets here all the titles released progressively.

"Lie to Me" with his piano to PARADISE LOST, right on the intro and hand over its heavy, bold, dynamic flirting directly with new-wave prog metal! The voice is clearer, serving to give rhythm to the rhythm section that becomes even "djent" when prog passage; it is much heavier than their previous productions. "Lazarus" with his voiceover intro, distills a heavy air, aggressive, Oriental and gives a nearly hypnotic air, catatonic too; end off again on a metal riff end of 2nd World War epic; possibility of trance in concert with such, real gem! "Rain", as hooked, hand on an air more pop, more gentle, putting in front the piano and plaintive guitar, denotes a bit with the beginning of the CD, pulling more towards the ballad missing and relief. "Ava" arrives with a more electronic "Bontempi" for a title fruity, colorful, snub the new wave movement of yesteryear? In any case, the second part and finally explodes gives a little more weight. "Who Will Remember" is an interlude wanting to remember that we are within a progressive group? It helps relax the senses with this musical interlude as I like them, come from nowhere.

"Let Go" is the best track of the album! There is everything in it, a ballad priori early just to confuse the issue, acoustic guitar and a tune that starts on convex slopes with successive wanderings, sweet, heavy, haunting and atmospheric passages; a title to listen with headphones. Note the tribute to guitarist RIVERSIDE died during a tour in the first part. "Violet" is struggling to stand comparison behind, distilling a title haunting chorus on a basic composition to TEARS FOR FEARS. Not bad at all. "Heaven Tour" arrives with a message from beyond Stephen Hawking. This title from again too easy chorus song kind of stopgap until the middle there and little more atmospheric break, with most hovering soaring notes for a final fly high; it's simple and it's beautiful. "With Me" or the gentle ballad, slow air, almost languid with the most musical and verbal voice and guitar solo enjoyable that we would have liked to have earlier.

JOLLY JOLLY has made already that's good; The group resumed after a hurricane destroyed a lot of gear and bands that had surprised me with strong fruity and diverse compositions. There by cons they make a little too much in the repetition and are not successive plays that contradict me; The band plays in a rather complicated kind and quite closed when anything new is poorly perceived and where every search for new sounds may be resented! The band has fulfilled its contract with a little of both. But JOLLY makes music for himself and his followers and fans are happy with that.

* Note that there is a deluxe edition with 5 bonus tracks including "Love," haunting ballad explosive crescendo still a bit on "With Me"; "Endless Ground" and "Ava (acoustic)" resuming an air of 1 CD with the emphasis that was so TEARS FOR FEARS! "Masquerade" ouch for a moment djent cleaner that is worth seeing. "For Isaac," most tortured in the ballad genre djent this time to confirm that innovates JOLLY despite the repetition sensation.

As with all Jolly releases, this their fourth album has the words "The Incredible" above their name, with "presents" underneath. It does given them a powerful visual image, and also meant that I quickly remembered their debut which I heard some ten years ago. I also remembered that I didn't like it, thought it was over-rated, and that I was in the minority. Some six years since their last album, and with the same line-up since the second album of Anadale (guitar, vocals), Joe Reilly (keyboards), Anthony Rondinone (bass, vocals) and Louis Abramson (drums) here is a band who have been influenced by the more metallic areas of prog combined with a love of Muse. On the debut I felt they contained hints of Meshuggah, and while there is little in the way of djent to be discovered, there is no doubt that the bottom end can get very heavy indeed.

The result is something which is actually quite strange to listen to. There is the impression that there is an attempt at being commercial, yet they are also very heavy indeed at times, and this mix of very heavy guitars and bass combined with the melodic vocal style just seems off at times. It has been released as part of the True Music Guide series as well if you can find a copy ? these are limited edition magazines which concentrate on just one release by one band, and #11 includes a biography, an interview with Louis Abramson, loads of photos and tour details. Musically I have to say that I have found it hard to really get on with this album, but am sure that is down to personal musical taste. It is well produced, very polished, and if this is your style of music then I am sure you will get a lot from it. For me, I confess I have played it and enjoyed it more than I did the debut, but that isn't saying a great deal to be fair. Proggy, commercial, Muse-inspired and very heavy, but just not for me.

Ok, The Audio Guide to Happiness Part 1 was good? But Part 2 is just excellent!

Two years after the first part Jolly released this second volume which improves the formula, finally reaching the level of excellence that I always knew that this band had inside. The heavier sections are heavier, the mellower ones are finally at the same great level and the album is incredibly varied, catchy and full of memorable tracks.

Anadale sings better than ever, getting unknown tones in his voices like some good accomplished growls and the rest of the band shines also as always. I can't really say who sounds better in this album! All the four members of the band make a great job and the production is also very good, full of details and layers which make this album resistant to many many plays.

Best Tracks: in this album is very difficult to pick single tracks, really. All of them have an excellent level of quality! But if I had to choose, I would pick Firewell (powerful, heavy and prog), You Against the World (great mellow alternative tone with a great chorus), Dust Nation Bleak (oh my God, what a great track!), While We Slept in Burning Shades (this band is awesome!) and The Grand Utopia (the most progressive track of the album!)

Conclusion: The Audio Guide to Happiness Part 1 was a big improvement in comparison to Forty-Six Minutes, Twelve Seconds of Music, but this Audio Guide to Happiness Part 2 is the definitive consolidation of Jolly as one of the most innovating, interesting and varied of this decade. I expected this album to be good, but not to this level!

So, if you haven't heard this album yet and you are interested in the most alternative side of prog, please hear The Audio Guide to Happiness Part 1 and then this even better Part 2. You will be surprised, for sure!

My rating: ****

After a very improvable debut album, Jolly came back with a much better second effort!

This Audio Guide to Happiness Part 1, despite having a similar style to their debut album mixing alternative rock with tons of prog elements, jazz, cabaret and metal, is much better written and coherent. Here the message of this band is clear, and the devisable promise of the first record is finally here. The original and excellent vocals of Anadale are better integrated in the music, the songs are catchy and very varied and the rhythmic section just outstanding.

The only complain that I have with this album is a pair of subpar moments. Songs like the cabaret oriented Pretty Darlin are cool, but boring in the long term just like Dorothy's Lament. Nevertheless, the album can be perfectly heard from beginning to end, being this weak moment easily forgettable when we taste prog bombs like Ends Where it Starts, Joy or The Pattern.

Best Tracks: Ends Where it Starts (a song which defines perfectly the style of this band), Joy (original, personal and different), The Pattern (incredible guitars and a great instrumental section, one of the best tracks of the band!) and Still a Dream (I especially like the heavy second section of the song)

Conclusion: The Audio Guide to Happiness Part 1 is not a flawless record, because it contains a pair of subpar tracks and the comparison between the incredible hard parts and the weaker mellower ones is very evident. Nevertheless, it was a very satisfactory improvement since their 2009 debut called Forty-Six Minutes, Twelve Seconds of Music which finally confirmed the great potential that this band always had.

Specially recommended for fans the first albums of Muse, and other acts like Riverside and Porcupine Tree!

My rating: ***

First, Jolly are not Neo-Prog!!!

I don't know who labelled them in this style, but they make a mix between metal, alternative rock with interesting elements like jazz, soul and even cabaret music. But Neo-Prog? Not at all!

And what's with this first release of the band? I think they had not reached enough maturity as a band when they recorded this album, because it feels disjointed, strange and not really focused. A pair of good tracks are mixed with tons of mediocre ones, making the hearing of this record really challenging on its integrity.

The potential of the band is there, nevertheless. The drumming is very good, the guitars loud and clear, and Anadale sings in an interesting and very personal style. But the cocktail was not well mixed yet!

Best Tracks: Escape from DS-3 (a strong opener, one of the best), Red Sky Locomotive (another fine up-tempo song) and Carousel of Whale (an interesting song divided in two clear sections)

Conclusion: Jolly showed tons of potential in this album, but they failed in the songwriting. The production is good and the musicianship superb, but the songs feel disjointed, strange and not good accomplished. And the worst fail of all: the album is boring.

Luckily, they learned from their mistakes and with the two parts of The Audio guide to Happiness they reached a great level!

My rating: **

Bear with me a second. Here is a band that want us to be happy, and consequently, within this album they have embedded various forms of brain wave stimulation known as Binaural Tones. These tones are scientifically proven to enrich feelings of relaxation, focus, creativity, and happiness through inaudible changes in audio frequencies. Apparently. I don't know about feeling happy while playing this, but I found it to be quite a choppy mixed-up album that is somewhat confusing to listen to. They can go from Meshuggah style polymetric passages into Muse soundscapes without warning and the result is that I came away thinking that they were very clever at what they are doing, and that they are good musicians. Didn't like it a lot though...

For me this is too all over the place, and that there is no real rationale behind it. Now, I can listen to "unusual" music more than most, and in many ways, this is actually mainstream, but I found myself getting frustrated and unsettled as opposed to being put into some sort of artificial nirvana. Some of the tricks such as the sound of a needle on vinyl at the beginning of "Peril" I found annoying, and as for the sounds at the end of "Inside The Womb" they just went on for way too long. I listened right to the very end just in case something interesting happened, but it didn't.

I am sure that there are many out there who will hail this as a masterpiece, and I have seen a few reviews comparing them to Riverside, but while there are some musical similarities at times, the Polish band is so far removed in terms of material to be on another planet. Not one to which I can see myself returning.

New York's Jolly is a band that really popped on my radar after hearing 2011's The Audio Guide to Happiness, Part One, as their unique mix of progressive rock, alternative, metal, and pop sensibility immediately set them apart from other progressive acts I was hearing at the time. Two years later, and Jolly have left me with a similar impression on their second (and final) installment in the series; Jolly conjures a one-of-a-kind atmosphere with their music, and they also posses the compositional and technical finesse to make the unique ambiance of their sound damn enjoyable to listen to. If anyone was unsure how this band was able to capture touring spots with acts like Riverside and Flying Colors, The Audio Guide to Happiness, Part Two provides a sufficient explanation why - a masterful expression of mood, atmosphere, and attention to detail, this is one of 2013's early musical highlights in my mind.

The style of music heard on The Audio Guide to Happiness, Part Two could best be described as progressive metal, although Jolly hardly resembles 'traditional' prog metal acts like Dream Theater or Fates Warning. The focus is largely geared towards moody and intense atmospheres not too dissimilar from recent Porcupine Tree or Marillion efforts, albeit with more deviations into alternative pop, metal, and even electronic territory. Jolly aren't afraid to incorporate some damn heavy guitar grooves into their music (there are even some harsh vocals in the dynamic "Firewall"!), as well as plenty of catchy melodies and strong hooks; while Jolly are perhaps not the most traditionally 'prog' band out there, their complex, eclectic, and highly atmospheric sound should grab the attention of most progressive metal listeners.

Fortunately, Jolly's excellence transcends their stylistic originality, as their talent as composers and performers is apparent throughout all of The Audio Guide to Happiness, Part Two. Although their playing styles are not particularly flashy, Jolly demonstrates their talents through detailed compositions and professional musicianship across the board - things like the atmospheric build in "Despite the Shell" (and the magnificent guitar solo that soon follows!) or the strong dynamic variation in "Firewall" are the mark of some truly skilled composers. What perhaps amazes me most about Jolly is that, even though their music is quite complex when closely analyzed, it manages to come across as accessible and almost pop-like to the more casual listener; the result is an album that is enjoyable on first listen, but still reveals new details with each new listening session.

As enthusiastic as I was (and still am) about The Audio Guide to Happiness, Part One, this installment is more mature and refined than its already superb predecessor. If compelling atmospheres, tasteful musicianship, and strong melodies are what you crave from progressive metal, Jolly should be on your radar - this album proves that they are part of the genre's upper echelon without a doubt!

Jolly has finally released their Audio Guide to Happiness, Part 2. They've returned with more interesting prog rock with a metal twist, and they layer all of this with a special sense of humor that could only be compared to that of Haken. It's a strange sense of humor that takes the music very seriously, but also likes a bit of quirk thrown into the mix.

Jolly truly does love their fans, and they have shown this by releasing another fantastic album. This album is full of rockers and ballads alike, and they even throw in some bagpipes and synth for good measure (hence, the neo-prog tag). In other words, Jolly expanded their boundaries a bit here. Part 1 is an amazing prog rock album indeed, but Part 2 is even better.

Jolly has certainly matured in such aspects as restrain and eclecticism, and this album is the better for it. Part 1 contained more of a technical edge to the metal parts; and, while this is still present, I feel that Jolly knows that technicality does not always make a good song. They have matured to the point of being experienced musicians now, and I can't wait to see where they take us next.

Jolly is back!

Jolly is one of the most interesting acts out there today. Blending prog and metal, along with special recording techniques to create sound that pleases the ears, they are a band to watch in the future. They have taken the concept record to a different level the the Audio Guide to Happiness parts 1 and 2. The claim is that the way the sound waves move and other composition elements can act as therapy, bringing one to a greater state of happiness. Now while you can dispute this claim, listening to the album does make you happy because the music is so good. So if you are looking for a hard rocking, progressive music experience, look no furth