The Lost Archives Surfacing the reviews of our forgotten youth
    Back to The Lost Archives
    The Phantom Tollbooth 2003/Neutral Agreement
    Neutral Agreement — The Joyful Facade cover

    Neutral Agreement

    The Joyful Facade

    (2003)

    Reviewed by Len Nash

    DiscogsBandcampApple MusicTIDALAmazon MusicSpotifyYouTube Music
    Label Future Destination RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2003
    emoindie rockpop punk

    When an agreement is neutral, it's split between two different identities and Neutral Agreement is pretty much, well, "neutral" with their musical stylings. Being mainly indie rock, yet also running into hardcore and pop punk from time to time, Neutral Agreement isn't stuck to just one "jam." The Joyful Facade adds a lot of passion and core-like grit, is young (although not "naive"), and raw. TJF tells of fear, holding on, noticing the world around us, and escaping society.

    This band is passionate about life, the pursuit of it, and faith. Neutral Agreement nails emotion, speed, passion, and raw grit together. Throughout the CD this three piece band sounds as if it was a four or even at times a five piece band.

    TJF is a good example of what indie rock that is at times ambient, sometimes charging ahead, and sometimes romping should sound like. It just fills up the stereo speakers with great vocalizations and a full and complete sound.

    Here is a good example of a melodic indie rock that isn't afraid to grind their teeth and instruments whenever they may feel like doing so.

    4 tocks

    Similar sounding releases

    1998MisprintAnother Broken Promise1999The Juliana Theory / Dawson HighThe Juliana Theory Was The Only Thing I Learned At Dawson High2005Bear vs. SharkTerrorhawk1995FocusedThe Hope That Lies Within2003Feable WeinerDear Hot Chick2000Green Olive TreeThings I Tried to Be

    More from Neutral Agreement

    2002Bet You Never Thought...

    Also in The Phantom Tollbooth 2003

    1998Strange OccurrenceStrange Occurrence2003Michael Franti & SpearheadEveryone Deserves Music2002Andy HunterExodus2003Andrea ZonnLove Goes On2003GlassbyrdOpen Wide This Window2002Queens of the Stone AgeSongs for the Deaf