Album Reviews

Transit’s New Record: Joyride Review

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Rise Records alternative rock band, Transit, has done it again. With their newest record, Joyride, these Boston natives show no signs of slowing down.

Their previous release, Young New England, came out in the spring of 2013; and they’ve put out a new full length album virtually every year since 2009. Thriving in quantity but definitely not lacking in quality, these music making machines have managed to challenge and develop their sound at the same unrelenting speed as well.  Working with familiar production team Gary Cioffi and Steven Haigler (Listen & Forgive, 2011) on this new album, Transit simultaneously held onto older roots while also testing new waters musically.

“The Only One,” the first track off Joyride, is a slowed down alt rock melody; and it’s the perfect introduction to what the rest of the album will entail. Diving further into their fresh alternative pop sounds, “Sweet Resistance,” “Summer Dust,” and powerhouse “Rest to Get Better” successfully find the perfect blend of catchy indie pop and alt rock. While adding these newfound pop sounds to the mix, they also hold onto their inner punk with track “Nothing Left to Lose” with lyrics and a sound sure to resonate with older fans. We’re revisited with the ballad-like sounds introduced at the beginning of the record once again with “Loneliness Burns,” a soft indie rock tune that, again, feels closer to home for long time Transit fans. Closing out with “Pins and Needles” and “Follow Me,” it’s unmistakably evident that Transit’s adventurous indie rock gamble of a record pays off. While it’s hard for many bands to transition and develop their sound from one album to the next, or to even make a transition at all, Transit does so gracefully. With an album that keeps you on your feet with each new track and has an overall sense of excellence, Joyride really does make for an exulting ride for listeners.