by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Following a great solo album in 2017 and amid an impeccable run with Cool Ghouls (who released one of our favorite albums this year), at some point Ryan Wong moved from the Bay Area down to Colorado. While little has changed but the scenery, he’s back with another project, Supreme Joy. Set to release their debut album, JOY, on May 28th, the project’s name could be a bit misleading. While it’s most definitely a joy (even a “supreme joy”) to listen to Wong and co.’s songs, they don’t necessarily come from a place that oozes happiness and excitement. JOY was written by Wong during a time of civil unrest and a great deal of identity crisis, influenced in particular by a Japanese photo journal that captured the rarely seen underbelly of their culture.
However heavy those feelings and soul searching may weigh, the band’s mix of psych pop, slacker fuzz, and dreamy punk jangle give everything an uplifting sheen. “Palace of Oranges” is the album’s third single, a beautiful song described as “an ode to one’s motherland.” With a slow dripped pulse and a hefty delayed twang, this song slinks into the dreamiest of sounds, drifting off into lullaby territory with the Wong’s words at the forefront as the guitars crackle and sputter under the echoing twang. It feels a return home, a warm embrace with a familial spirit. As the band layer on guitars for more country western charm, it all feels like a dream you never want to wake up from.