I am a pretty uninitiated Mt. Joy listener. “Astrovan” and “Silver Lining” from their self-titled album are absolute bangers and have been on rotation for years.
The group has always struck me as a Red Rocks, stoner indie band with just enough of an edge to keep it interesting—think Rainbow Kitten Surprise or even Head and the Heart. Those were the general vibes that I expected going into their newest record, Hope We Have Fun, but I was left underwhelmed.
This record is not egregiously bad by any means, but it felt soulless. Emotion and authenticity are what makes for good indie music, and Hope We Have Fun missed the mark.
Sonically and lyrically, it sounds generic and wasn’t entirely memorable. There is a category of indie music that I like to call “Target commercial music” that I’m not usually into. Unfortunately, most of this record would be the perfect soundtrack to a back-to-school advertisement.
Between the squeaky clean, sometimes cringe-worthy lyrics, and the consistent lack of dynamics, Hope We Have Fun has a sterile, corporate feeling to it that I can’t shake and makes me bored. For example, during my first full listen of this album, I realized that I zoned out through the entirety of “Groove in Gotham.” It was flat and sounded so similar to the tracks before it.
It was one of several songs that I struggled to write notes for outside of ‘it’s fine.’ This was a theme throughout much of the album. “You Are Who She Loves,” “Coyote,” and “Wild and Rotten” are a few other offenders.
There are moments where Mt. Joy reaches for something bolder—but even those fall flat. A prime example is “Scared I’m Gonna Fuck You Up.” It’s loud and has a wall-of-sound quality that would normally appeal to me. While I saw and appreciated what it was going for, it just didn’t have the soul or bite to pull it off. It just felt forced with intentionally crazy mixing and vocals.
Another letdown was “In The Middle” featuring Gigi Perez. Her single, “Sailor Song,” is one of my favorite indie songs of the 2020’s, so I was thrilled to see her featured.
Although it was in the stronger half of the tracklist, I would have loved to see Gigi Perez shine more and bring her signature smoothness. Additionally, the intro track “More More More” left me begging for exactly that: more. That song, however, had an explosive, dynamic ending that the album so badly needed but refused to build on.
Hope We Have Fun isn’t all bad, though. There are a handful of standout tracks that elicited a visible head nod and an under-the-breath ‘oooohhh.‘ They aren’t my all-time favorites, but definitely shine within the context of this record. My absolute favorite is “Lucy.” It is a beautiful, personal song about grief and terminal illness.
"A song inspired by people living with potentially terminal diagnoses. This hit close to home for us last year and we’re in awe of the courage displayed by so many people fighting to enjoy whatever time they have rather than living in fear. To us, it’s a humbling reminder to make the most of your precious time here with the people you love."
With lyrics like ‘I want to live like Lucy died, living my life wire to wire. Burn up like a star in the northern sky, dreaming only of the light,’ Mt. Joy gave us a powerful, bittersweet ode to perseverance and loss—celebrating the profound impacts that people have made on us and how they lived, while recognizing the true pain and longing that comes with grief.
A close second, despite its corny title, was “God Loves Weirdos.” It struck my hopeless romantic heart with reminders of fun late-night adventures with your person that make you look at them with heart eyes, and say to yourself, as Mt. Joy simply and effectively put it, ‘Damn, I still love you.‘ A very cute banger for folks who love being in love.
Some honorable mentions were the loungey, vibey “Pink Lady” and the sentimental and introspective title-track, “Hope We Have Fun.”
Unfortunately, overall, Hope We Have Fun was inconsistent. I was excited for some fresh, unique indie and was left mostly with uninspired, sterile Target commercial music. Despite a few genuinely strong emotional highlights, the overall lack of originality, personality, and soul makes this record a tough one to recommend.
