from Punknews.org

Maybe it's just way more prevalent on their earlier releases, but I'm not really sure how My Heart to Joy at the Same Tone is garnering comparisons to Circle Takes the Square, Drive Like Jehu and assorted screamo acts (Portraits of Past? Off Minor? What?). But that's neither here nor there -- the fact of the matter is, the potential this band has is off the charts.

The band's second/third EP, the three-song Virgin Sails, is admittedly more complex in the instrumentation than your average present-day emotional punk band -- but not that much. Frankly, that's a great level the band balances on. It means that with a song like fantastic opener "The Hours Change So We Don't Have To," the band can pack as much emotion into a few dozen words as possible, throw in a super fast and super brief drum fill (see the opening), pound and squeal on those chords for a few relentless seconds, and retain all the feeling they're trying to push through. And if you think Virgin Sails is starting to weaken a bit since the title track slips a bit in quality from the heart of the opener, no worries; closer "All of Life Is Coming Home" saunters into somewhat more atmospheric and assuredly slowed-down post-hardcore territory, imagining the singer of Defiance, Ohio fronting a more raw and desperate version of the Ghost.

Granted, they aren't nearly as intense as those initially mentioned acts, nor play with tempo changes quite as much; maybe it's just because their vocalist screams their words as earnestly as he possibly can in gravelly, comprehensible ways. Still, that's not at all a complaint. Wherever My Heart to Joy are, they're fine as is. And where they're seemingly bound to go are some wondrous places.




from Diatribe Inc.

My Heart to Joy at the Same Tone play gruff and somewhat screamy punk rock that perfectly combines the hardnosed melodic leanings of post-hardcore bands like Hot Water Music and Small Brown Bike with a heavy handed emotional sound, much like Rites of Spring . This leaves the band with a sound that is both intricate and aggressive.

"The Hours Change So We Don't Have To" instantly blew me away. The song is an exemplary display of thrashing rhythms and cathartic release. The song hits its pinnacle with the last line, "Just because I'm a stranger/doesn't mean I'm strange". Short, emotive and to the point.

"Virgin Sails" is a hoarse throated maelstrom of pounding drums and snare rolls with soaring guitars set to a relatively quick cadence and "All of Life is Coming Home" shows that the band also has the aptitude for crafting slow paced, jangling harmonies; the kind that most bands attempt but end up sounding too poppy and fall flat on their face. These guys do it flawlessly.

Of course, anything on a 7″ is going to be too short for my liking, especially when it's your first experience with a band, so I'm interested in seeing where My Heart to Joy at the Same Tone will take us next with hopefully more releases in the very near future.




from Aversion Online

"Virgin Sails" is the latest three-track EP from Connecticut act My Heart to Joy at the Same Tone (on Triumph of Life Records), and my first exposure to the band's work. There's a predominantly emo/indie rock vibe going on, but the aggression level does lean more towards the "screamo" side of things - just without any of the negative connotations that can sometimes follow that particular tag. There's a good mix of more-distorted-than-average chord progressions and almost frantic percussive bursts alongside loosely delivered melodies and occasional clean breaks, while the vocals are more of a shouting/yelling style (with some singing) than screaming. I guess what I'm trying to say is that they fall into that category of bands that plays a little wilder and looser and kicks things up a little more in terms of overall intensity, but they're not chaotic or grating (at least not on this EP, some of their earlier work sounds a touch harsher, but still very strong). The songs are well written and focused, and it's an enjoyable listen that piques your interest in where they'll go next.



from Razorcake Magazine

Noisy emo-tinged post-hardcore stuff that would no doubt be a shoe-in to release something on No Idea. This stuff really ain't my thang, but they definitely pull out the stops enough that I couldn't help appreciating their efforts.




from Scenepointblank

I'm not too sure about the band's namesake, but you can't always judge a book by its cover. So, I went into the new 7" from My Heart to Joy at the Same Tone, Virgin Sails, blind.

This Connecticut four-piece offer up three songs on their newest EP. Their sound is a mash up of punk, indie rock, emo, and post-punk. They mix together the guitar styling of a Drive Like Jehu and slow the pace down just a tad - think the mid-tempo body of work of Sunny Day Real Estate. Of the three I'd say "Virgin Sails" is their best piece here - solid rhythms and driving guitars match up perfectly with the shouted vocals.

You can download this recording, as well as their previous EP and demo at their Myspace for free. Definitely worth the download.