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With the release of last years album AMERICAN WHIP, Joy Zipper have left themselves with a very tough act to follow. That record was a gorgeous album full of swooning pop majesty and fuzzy guitar drones - boasting production by My Bloody Valentines' reclusive genius Kevin Shields and David Holmes, it was a record as much defined by its songs as by its swirling musical landscapes.
THE HEARTLIGHT SET finds Joy Zipper bouncing back with an album that doesn't attempt to try the same trick twice, this time round Vincent Cafioso and Tabitha Tindale instead opting for a more stripped back sound and intimate setting.
At times treading close to the musical stylings of bands like The Breeders, The Pixies and Throwing Muses - the majority of the songs here are fuzzy guitar pop, warm distorted power chords bouncing along to delicious vocal melodies and catchy choruses. Songs like ANYTHING YOU SENT and THOUGHT'S A WASTE OF TIME sound like they were crafted in Fort Apache Studios back in the early nineties, echoing that same sense of Boston indie pop glory. The opening track, GO TELL THE WORLD on the other hand sounds like a glam rock throwback from the seventies, Suzi Quattro crossed with Kristin Hersh - handclaps and rock n roll riffs all in place.
While its Tabitha Tindale's warm and tingly vocals that run through most of the songs here, occasionally Vincent Cafioso takes the reins and injects an air of Elliot Smith meets Wayne Coyne - songs like 1 and THOUGHT'S A WASTE OF TIME appearing like stripped down psychedelic classics with a touch of nu-folk thrown in for good measure. LENNY'S OWN PLEASURE finds tender guitar lines running under Tabitha Tindales sensual and teasing vocals, her honey dripping tones inviting you in and the swoonsome melodies begging you to stay a little longer. Like the Jesus And Mary Chain fronted by Hope Sandoval, WINDOW combines drawling guitar riffs with sleepy drum beats whilst the dreamlike swells and patters of 2 DREAMS I HAD is more like The Velvet Underground and Nico produced by Sigur Ros.
Ending with a whimper rather than a bang, the closing trio of WORLD DOESN'T CARE, ROCKDOVE and HOLY DIVER are languid moodpieces that add to the dreamlike feel of the record. THE HEARTLIGHT SET is an album that at times is hard to get a handle on, at times launching into a glam rock strut, at times diving into warm fuzzy indie rock and at times drifting off into romantic dreamlike psychedelia. Lacking direction and structure at times, THE HEARTLIGHT SET is a record that drifts rather than swims, and whilst not quite matching the genius of AMERICAN WHIP its clear that Joy Zipper still possess the magic.

Joy Zipper comprise of boyfriend/girlfriend, Vincent Cafioso and Tabitha Tindale. Hailing from Long Island, New York they met at a local battle of the bands competition, and decided to form a band after realizing they shared a special musical bond. The duo spent a long period working on their songwriting and eventually produced a home demo which resulted in them signing to British label Eye Q.
With their debut self titled record, released to huge critical acclaim - particularly in the UK, they went on to play shows across Europe with bands such as Geneva, Quasi and Andrew Weatherall.
The second album, despite being held up by record company problems was released in 2004, this time to even greater critical acclaim.

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