Sun Mahshene aren’t exactly known for subtlety and “Life Is Joy” doesn’t waste a second pretending otherwise. The post-shoegaze/psych outfit open their new six-minute single with grungy electric guitar lines that immediately screams big, brooding, and beautifully relentlessness. On first listen it’s a slow-burner that has a lot going on, maintaining this hypnotic drive from start to finish, with just enough shifts in tone to keep you locked in.
The vocals are strong and at times almost at odds with the instrumental in places. That contrast feels deliberate though. The different tempos and textures between voice and guitar create this experience that somehow clicks perfectly. Every layer seems to be doing its own thing, but all of it leads to the same point: those triumphant, repeated lines of “life is joy” and “life has meaning” ringing out.
About halfway through, the vocals drop out entirely, leaving a near two-minute stretch where the instrumental takes over. Soaring guitar streaks, and pounding rhythm that captures Sun Mahshene’s live energy just as well as any words could. When the chorus finally surges back in, it feels almost celebratory, like everything the track had been building toward bursts open all at once.
Even as it winds down, “Life Is Joy” refuses to fade quietly. Those sailing guitar tones linger right to the very last second before a sharp, clean cutoff. “Life Is Joy” feels like Sun Mahshene at full stretch. It’s a euphoric statement from a band that continues to show how immersive their sound can be.
”Life Is Joy” gets a joyful 8 out of 10
The single will be launched with an unmissable headline show in Sin É, Dublin, on November 1st, with support from The Ravs. Tickets HERE.
Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography