by David Wilikofsky
Joseph Farago began writing songs in his dorm room in 2015. What began as a bedroom pop project eventually evolved into a full band, one that has supported or collaborated with indie luminaries like Remember Sports, Soccer Mommy and Frankie Cosmos. With their debut full length, Farago and his bandmates put out a statement that can sit easily in that company. Joey Spumoni Creamy Dreamy Party All The Time is a pitch perfect collection of indie rock, one that feels instantly familiar yet utterly distinctive.
Farago cites Greta Kline (aka the aforementioned Frankie Cosmos) as his musical hero, and that influence is apparent across Joey Spumoni Creamy Dreamy Party All The Time. Both work in miniature; much like Kline’s oeuvre, none of the eighteen tracks here stretch beyond two minutes and change. There’s also a twee, slightly ramshackle sheen to their versions of guitar rock. Sonically, what you’re getting with Joey Nebulous is pretty simple: much like his inspiration’s finest work, it’s perfectly crafted indie pop.
While I’m a sucker for wholesome gay content (and there’s plenty of that to be found here), what truly differentiates Joey Spumoni Creamy Dreamy Party All The Time from a plethora of music operating in a similar vein is its specificity. With songs pulled from over half a decade of music making, the album feels like a reflection of Farago himself. There’s plenty of pining over boys, but there’s a lot more. You get a sense of his cultural lexicon: The Great British Baking Show, Bob’s Burgers, Scarlett Johansson, Kristofer Weston, DJ Khaled. Tracks like “Prunes” (whose only lyric is “I like prunes cause my daddy likes them too”), which could easily be throwaway filler in lesser hands, imbue the proceedings with a sense of irreverence. Farago’s distinctive singing voice, a warbling falsetto that could be divisive to some, feels like the only vehicle that could deliver these songs. Farago and his bandmates are undeniably working in a well trod style of music, but they do something few other artists manage: they reshape it in their own image.