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The Joy Formidable - The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade

Ritzy Bryan is lying under the covers. She can’t fall asleep; her heart is pounding. “A calm day will come,” she keeps repeating, trying to reassure herself. But she’s lost someone, and that someone is not coming back. “This dream is in a telescope now,” Bryan sings, over and over again, shocked at how far away it all seems. 

“The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade” is the closing track on Big Roar, the terrific 2011 record from Welsh band the Joy Formidable. Bryan, its arresting lead singer, is part of a welcome resurgence of women in indie rock as of late that also includes Metric’s Emily Haines, Wye Oak’s Jen Wasner and EMA. The Joy Formidable pair gauzy, shoegaze vocals over what Bryan has called “dirty, loud, rhythmic guitars and thick bass-lines” — a combination that will sound familiar (and lovely) to fans of Metric, the Silversun Pickups and perhaps even Smashing Pumpkins.

Of the several great tracks on Big Roar, it’s this one that I’ve had on repeat for the past week or so. I love the Zen koan of the title, and its bewilderment that the thing that brings the most light into your life will also generate the most darkness. As the song hurtles toward its end, Bryan tries to talk herself out of despair. “I can be … happy for you,” she sings, tentatively at first, then gaining in strength, as if only brute-force repetition will leave her convinced. And then the light goes out.

(track via zummerzetlad)

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