From the beginning, Joy Electric has refused to conform to what the industry considers "popular". Instead, Ronnie Martin (and now Jeff Cloud) have tried to make music that goes beyond the latest fad - music that is timeless.
The Land of Misfits, Joy Electric's sixth release in three years, contains three remixes, one old song, and one new song. The 16 minute CD starts out with "Monosynth" from the Robot Rock CD, a song that most Joy Electric fans probably already own. That was a waist of your hard earned money, but there is more. The second track is a remix of "The Cobbler", a song that appeared on the Old Wives Tales ep. The music is significantly faster and more danceable than the original and reminds me of Joy Electric's live shows. Unfortunately, the vocals are slightly less enjoyable than the original as Martin seems to be singing off key for second half of the song. The third track is a remix of "I'm Your Boy", it is an enjoyable remix that seems likely to end up on many dance club turntables. The "Sugar Rush" remix continues with the same dance-floor beats, but seems to loose most of the sing-along pop spirit that made the original so great. Thankfully, the EP closes with a great new song called "The North Sea". The song is a slow ballad with somewhat cryptic lyrics, but you can't help but enjoy it.
The final tally is 2 good songs and 3 songs that you can live without (or already own). The Land of Misfits is in no way a representation of Joy Electric's finest work. Buy it only if you are a die-hard Joy Electric fan, otherwise your money would be better spent on the band's last full-length project Robot Rock.
Other coverage for this album
Opus 2005Reviewed by Jason MoreheadWhat's this??? Another release from Joy Electric? Could Ronnie Martin be the hardest working man in Christian music? It sure seems like it. And yet despite the fact that he always seems to have something new coming out (look for the new Joy Electric album later this year), and despite the fact that Martin has never deviated from his formula of effeminate vocals, syrupy-sweet pop hooks, and enough…The Lighthouse Unsorted 1998Reviewed by Stacey Lee FeldmanWhen a techno group with a respectable fan base puts out a few remixes of favorite songs, everybody is happy. Joy Electric has come to please the masses of electronic freaks with The Land Of Misfits EP, five songs to tide us over until the next studio recording, featuring three sugary remixes and "Monosynth," the "big single" from their most recent album, Robot Rock. They left that one intact,…Similar sounding releases
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