band of holy joy

Over each of their last three albums - 'Funambulist We Love You', 'Neon Primitives' and 'Dreams Take Flight' - BOHJ has bettered itself, and may now have reached their apex with 'Fated Beautiful Mistakes'.

We live in a time of generally justifiable gloom and awkward uncertainty. So it may appear cavalier to claim this album sounds revelatory in that context, but Band Of Holy Joy's strengths rest largely in Johny Brown and the band's ability to capture a wider societal feeling. One listen to the escapist fantasy of "Our Flighty Season Under The Flighty Sun" and its slightly-haunted ending speaks volumes beyond most of what passes for music in 2023, and it's just one of many perfect moments on this album.