Australian indie pop singer and songwriter Vance Joy recently released a new album in February called, “Nation of Two”. While many critics raved over the new album, quite honestly, I found myself struggling to get through it.

I’m fairly versatile in the music realm. I’ve never fully associated with a specific genre; to me, good music is good music. With that being said, it doesn’t take much to impress me. Which is why I was extremely surprised that I wasn’t going gaga over “Nation of Two”.

It would be a crime to totally disregard Joy’s artistry. There is no denying his lyrical masterpieces. Joy has a profound ability to create a vivid story in such a short amount of time while still being able to connect with his audience. Almost all of his songs are laced with beautiful metaphors and allegories.

Love is a major theme in this album. Joy charms his way into the hearts of many with his beautiful, poetic lyrics. The love songs of this album are “Saturday Sun”, “I’m With You”, “Alone With Me”, “Crashing Into You”, “We’re Going Home”. There are also a fair amount of breakup songs too.

Lyrically, a favorite of mine would have to be “Take Your Time”. The first verse hooked me right away: “there’s an ocean in my head, waves that don’t ever rest, this kind of beauty ain’t ordinary, you look but do you really see?” It was like he was speaking directly to you, asking you, “how much do you really know a person?” Each person has so many little quirks and idiosyncrasies that there’s so much to learn about. It’s like trying to explore a vast ocean. This song was so deep, and it took me by surprise. I hadn’t really thought about that before.

It’s refreshing to listen to a song about love that’s telling you to not to rush things just for the sake of seeking romance. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. True love is reaching into the soul of another person and reading it so well that it becomes reflective on your own as if it was a mirror.  In a society where intimacy moves at a fast rate, this song is definitely one to remember.

However, the song I connected with the most would have to be “One of These Days”, which is about taking a break in a relationship to allow the other person to figure out what they want in life. While I’ve never really experienced this in a romantic relationship, I’ve definitely mastered the art of letting go through many friendships. This song reminded me that sometimes you have to let go in order to give yourself and the other person a bit of clarity. There comes a point in life that you can’t keep pushing to fix someone. Sometimes a person has to learn how to fix themselves.

This song isn’t about giving up on someone. Sometimes letting go is the best thing you can do for someone who needs to learn how to stand on their own two feet. Give them time and space, and when the moment is right you’ll be there waiting for them. Here’s my favorite few lines from the track: “But you’ve got too much on your mind, too much left to prove, no easy answers, you’ve got to work it out yourself, you won’t hear anyone but you, the moment you stop looking, wherever you go, you’ll be in the right place.”Another favorite of mine solely based on the lyrics would be, “Little Boy” which is basically a reminisce of one of Joy’s childhood memories of him falling off a bike and going to the hospital for it. There’s something so pure about a grown man reflecting back on his past. As a young boy who fell off his bike, you can only imagine how afraid you must be and how much you would want your parents. But his parents weren’t the first to respond right away because they weren’t there. A kind stranger had taken him to the hospital where his parents finally met up with their son. But Joy looks back at that memory as something where he fully trusted in his parents and seeked solace in them. Even if they weren’t there right away, his heart was relieved when he saw them. It’s a fond memory that I personally connect to as well. Joy looks back at that memory with softness and finishes the song with, “I’ll always be that little boy.”

If we’re talking about the music and the lyrics together, my ultimate favorite would be “Lay It On Me” which is about a guy falling in love and wanting more from the other person. He loves her more than just her body but for her mind: “and I just want to know what’s in your head.” The beat is beautiful. It’s different from all the other mellow tracks. The drums beat faster and rise to a crescendo for each chorus. I found myself tapping to the beat and singing along. Joy chose this song to be a single which in my opinion, was a smart choice.

My real complaint stems from the fact that his songs are very repetitive. They all sound like the same track with just a different tempo and maybe another instrument here or there. It came to the point where I didn’t even realize that I had moved onto the next song. That’s how similar it all sounded. I can’t necessarily tell you, it’s something you just have to hear for yourself. I don’t mind it when there are a couple of tracks that sound similar but when it’s the whole album? It just becomes overkill.

Joy’s music is great for kicking back and relaxing. I’d turn on his music if I was about to talk a walk on the beach, ride my bike through the town on a sunny day, or even simply roam around in my car with the windows down. It’s even a great choice when studying because it isn’t too distracting. But I don’t really see myself playing his songs that often. I would, however, actually look up his lyrics and read them as poetry from time to time. They’re that powerful.  

I didn’t hate the album at all. I just wasn’t in love with it. If we’re talking about lyrics, Joy takes the cake. He’s won me over in that aspect. But I can’t fully love an album if I’m not feeling the music. I don’t know what to say. My peers have been raving about this album, but I just can’t seem to get with it. Maybe I’m just not “hipster” enough.