In case you missed it, indie-folk singer and songwriter Vance Joy released his latest album, Nation of Two, over the weekend. Vance Joy made headlines with his 2014 single Riptide, which was a smash that has received more than 500,000,000 streams on Spotify, but this collegiette’s personal opinion is that Joy, overall, is still devastatingly underrated. His unique voice and soothing guitar rythms even caught the attention of Taylor Swift, who invited him to support her as an opening act throughout her 1989 World Tour (in case you don’t know how big this is, both Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes have also toured with Swift, and both their careers skyrocketed soon after).
Nation of Two is romantic without being overly cheesy and, in short, quite beautiful. Let’s dive in!
Image via vancejoy.com
Track 1: Call If You Need Me
The album opens with a soft guitar and Joy’s voice joins in to match the tone. As the song continues, the beat remains steady but his voice grows louder and louder, which just adds to the power of the lyrics. Those catchy “oohh-whoo-oohs” halfway through the song nearly killed me.
Standout lyric: Loved you in the darkness and I loved you in florescent light
Track 2: Lay It On Me
Again, this track opens with Joy’s voice accompanied by a single guitar and as the song progresses, more and more instruments are added in background, all building up and exploding together during the chorus. This makes the chorus super catchy, and you can’t help but try to resist the urge of jumping along to the beat.
Standout Lyric: If all my defenses come down, oh baby, will you lay it all me now?
Track 3: We’re Going Home
This song tells the story of two lovers who are in search of home together, but the road is not an easy one. They’re forced to face these struggles, but Joy uses this song to say that as long as they are in it together, they will find what they’re looking for.
Standout Lyric: When I see your light shine I know I’m home
Track 4: Saturday Sun
One of my favorite tracks on the album, this song is fun and super up-beat and catchy. It details the story of Joy meeting someone out on the West coast that he gets completely enamored by. It essentially details all the excitement we feel when we we’re falling in love for the first time with someone new.
Standout Lyric: Don’t care what it costs, no ray of sunshine is ever lost
Track 5: Take Your Time
On this track, we return the start-out-slow-and-then-build-up style that Vance Joy seems to have mastered. Vance Joy is using this song to ask his love-interest to give him a chance, and details just how great their relationship could be together.
Standout Lyric: I’ll admit I never saw you coming, now I see your colors running
Track 6: I’m With You
This song is just Vance and his guitar, and may I say, it’s definitely his strong suit. Joy is professing his love for his S.O, letting her know that he would go to the ends of the earth to make her smile.
Standout Lyric: To see you shine I’ll swing for the fences, I’ll run to the line
Track 7: Like Gold
Hands down my personal favorite. Again, we hear the build-up of instruments and voice-overlays right at the chorus, which adds to the impact of the song as a whole. Joy is recounting the story of an old flame in this song, and, quite frankly, I don’t know how to capture the feelings this song gives me in words. All I can say is that I am personally offended this track hasn’t taken over the radios the way that Riptide did.
Standout Lyric: Well I got a feeling, darling it’s possible that this love’s got no ceiling now
Track 8: Alone With Me
This is a slow-paced track that talks about the trials and tribulations that we all face in a relationship, but Vance chooses to focus on all the good that comes from being with a person who you’re committed to, a person who catches you when you fall. The acoustic guitar solo also gives me major Georgia vibes from his last album.
Standout Lyric: You shape up my days; you’re my holy place
Track 9: Crashing Into You
A super folky tune, again, this song details how much better life seems to get as you fall in love with a person who brings you sunlight.
Standout Lyric: You came along, you light up my day, my personal sun
Track 10: One of These Days
To be honest, I felt personally attacked when I first heard this song. It’s about a person who is focused on doing the right thing, on being the right person. Vance essentially writes that you will get to where you need to be; you can’t be fixated on trying to control everything around you.
Standout Lyric: You see the sunrise, I see your soul shine through your eyes when you’re here
Track 11: Little Boy
Another one of my favorites. In this track, Vance takes a break from love songs and instead reflects on his childhood. It’s difficult not to get chills running throughout your body as you listen to him sing Little boy don’t be scared now you know we’ll be sleeping in the next room, Little boy don’t be sad now tomorrow is ours and it’s coming around soon. The harmonizing Mmmms in the background make this song sound almost religious.
Standout Lyric: These things always start so small, with no applause and no drum roll
Track 12: Bonnie & Clyde
In this song, Vance Joy uses the infamous story of Bonnie and Clyde to tell us to speak our mind and live life to the fullest, because we’ll never know when it’s our time to go.
Standout Lyric: No matter where you’ve been, you’ll jump into the water and you’ll come out clean
Track 13: Where We Start
For the last track, we turn super folky. It’s a relaxing song that shows a different side of love; rather than a crashing love that’s like gold, this one is a calming love. One that reassures you and makes you feel safe.
Standout Lyric: It’s easier to take a heart than to let your own be taken