I saw Spanish Love Songs before I ever dove into their catalog. And it was immediately clear they’re the type of band where fans really connect, singing along to every word, not just the choruses. In truth, the band doesn’t really use choruses much, but that’s not really the point here. Their sound is rooted in melodic and emotional midtempo punk that’s deeply personal and introspective.
My biggest takeaway of this record is that the keyboards draw a little more attention and, while this doesn’t change their sound, the combination along with Dylan Slocum’s vibrato vocals tends to emphasize the dramatic elements. In the past, I liked the balance between grittier punk guitars and his over-the-top vocals. The crunch brought things back to earth a little bit, balancing the overall emotional impact. On No Joy (an album where the title probably says it all), it’s morose and melodramatic. The lyrics are equally extreme, with lines like “waiting for the sun to explode” or “stay[ing] alive out of spite” or “the pain is everywhere,” this isn’t exactly subtle. The lyrics are heavy for sure, and they flow like journal pages perhaps more in line with the storytelling approach of Bright Eyes than your average SoCal punk band. Adding the nice variety of sounds on No Joy I’m going to conclude that, yes, Spanish Love Songs tour the punk scene but at this point they’re playing indie rock. Which is fine by me because all these are just marketing labels in the end. I get more Cursive here than I get Menzingers.
I’m trying not to focus solely on the lyrics of this record but when you make your lyrics so front-and-center, they have to be perfect. And most of this record hits really well, but few lines flip my response immediately. And this is honestly just a matter of taste. Other heavy-handed lyrics hit me hard and nobody is 100% all the time to 100% of people. The lyrics on suicide ideation and mental health struggles are equally blunt, but they make me stop in my tracks when I hear them: powerful in the “right way.” “Clean-Up Crew,” “Middle of Nine,” and “I’m Gonna Miss Everything” are personal standouts.
For the most part, the band adopts the punk rock road warrior vibe more than indie rock’s academic tone. It’s sometimes a fine line to straddle both elements, but I think that tenuous stance is what works for Spanish Love Songs.
