In proper Too Much Joy fashion, their memories are met with fresh energy on "My Past Lives." The venerated pop-punk outfit proves that time has just sharpened the edge. A romping jolt of indie rock swagger, alternative grit, and punk's snappy heartbeat, the song bristles like both a summation and a shove back, sewing together the band's past spirit to the present moment.
The guitars hurtle with a rough urgency, but the rhythm section steadies the madness with a cheerful cool. Vocals punch through with the same wry humor and irreverence that drew fans in decades ago, but there's also an undercurrent of perspective here, a realization that years have passed, yet without losing the fire that birthed this creature.
Too Much Joy is about to re-issue their Warner Bros. debut long-player, "Son of Sam I Am," on this Halloween, retitled "Son of Sam I Am (Tommy's Version)". It's a wink to their history, as well as to their fans, and a reminder that while the clock keeps ticking, the band is still plenty themselves. With "My Past Lives," Too Much Joy pays respect to their history without sounding mired in it. Instead, they wear their heritage with undisguised pride into the present moment, making music that's as self-aware as it is joyfully loose. It's a song that sounds like catching up with an old friend.
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