Cody (album)
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''Cody'' is the fourth studio album by American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band Joyce Manor, released on October 7, 2016 by
Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. A large portion of the record label, known as Hellcat Records, is owned by Tim Armstrong, frontman of the punk rock band Rancid. Several ...
. The California-based quartet first formed in the late 2000s, building a fanbase online and through exhausting touring. Its previous album, '' Never Hungover Again'' (2014), had cemented its status as one of the biggest
pop-punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
bands of the 2010s, earning rave reviews from critics. In the interim, the band dismissed original drummer Kurt Walcher, replacing him with Jeff Enzor, and frontman Barry Johnson embraced
meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...
. ''Cody'' thematically centers on
aging Ageing (or aging in American English) is the process of becoming Old age, older until death. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi; whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentiall ...
, examining concepts like
addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...
, drug usage, and relationships. For the album, the band approached veteran producer Rob Schnapf, known for his work with
Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...
,
Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known as Elliott Smith, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, whe ...
, and
Guided by Voices Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted o ...
. The band worked for two months in the studio; Johnson, in conjunction with guidance from Schanpf, further refines the band's
songwriting A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
, introducing varying
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
s and into the band's typically speedy sound. As a result, ''Cody'' is the group's longest album to date, at twenty-four minutes. The LP features guest vocal spots from
Nate Ruess Nathaniel Joseph Ruess (pronounced ; born February 26, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. He formed the indie rock band The Format in 2002, and later went on to form the band fun. in 2008. He emerged as a solo act with his guest per ...
and
Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...
. Many music analysts expected ''Cody'' to expand the band's stardom, though its reaction was more muted. It debuted at number 192 on the ''Billboard'' 200, representing a drop-off from its predecessor. Music critics reacted favorably towards the album, though fans were initially divided regarding the change in direction. " Fake I.D.", " Last You Heard of Me", and "Eighteen" were issued as singles, and received
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
s. ''Cody'' was supported by international touring stints alongside bands like
Wavves Wavves is an American rock band based in San Diego, California. Formed in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams (born June 12, 1986), the band also features Alex Gates (guitar, backing vocals), Stephen Pope (bass guitar, backing vocals) an ...
, the Hotelier, and AJJ.


Background

Pop-punk band Joyce Manor emerged in the late 2000s from
Torrance, California Torrance is a coastal city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the metropolitan ...
, the pairing of vocalist/guitarist Barry Johnson and guitarist Chase Knobbe. The duo added Matt Ebert on bass and Kurt Walcher on drums before the release of their first, self-titled album, released in 2011. Though pop-punk had largely faded from the commercial spotlight, the band's popularity rose through word-of-mouth from fans online. Their next LP, the thirteen-minute long '' Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired'', was released in 2012. By the time the band issued their third album—2014's ''Never Hungover Again'', released on fabled indie imprint Epitaph Records—the group became "torch-bearers" for a new generation of pop-punk fans, alongside acts like Modern Baseball. ''Never Hungover Again'' received rave reviews from contemporary critics, including many who paid little attention to the aforementioned punk/
emo Emo () is a genre of rock music characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of hardcore punk and from the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore. The bands ...
scenes. The pressure for a follow-up led Johnson to consider disbanding Joyce Manor. He considered starting a new venture under the alias Cody, and he played a few shows under the name the Snowcones. He also struggled with the decision to dismiss Walcher; all felt he did not connect with the band's songwriting, and fit awkwardly into its process. Johnson had been working with drummer Jeff Enzor on a side project, but their chemistry felt so natural that he was asked to join Joyce Manor. In the interim, Johnson developed an interest in meditation, which he credited with providing inspiration and a sense of intuition—less second-guessing on what artistically may be right. His uncertainty regarding the future of the band was changed upon a lunch meeting with Epitaph founder
Brett Gurewitz Brett W. Gurewitz (born May 12, 1962), nicknamed Mr. Brett, is an American musician and record producer, best known as the co-founder and guitarist of the Punk rock, punk band Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records ...
. "We sat down and he was like, 'When are you gonna record?' And I was like, 'Dude, I don't have any fuckin' songs,'" Johnson remembered. The quartet had booked studio time several months in advance, but writing was coming slower to Johnson than typically. Gurewitz suggested veteran engineer Rob Schnapf to work with; his long producing pedigree included artists like Beck, Guided By Voices, Kurt Vile, Saves the Day, and Elliott Smith. Johnson worried he may not be interested, but when he met the group met with the group, Schnapf took a liking to them: " feel like I made a bunch of good friends," he said at the end of the recording process. The quartet came to regard him as essential member of their creative process, a "fifth member" of the band when making their next album, which Johnson also titled ''Cody''.


Recording and production

''Cody'' was recorded in two months, with Scnahpf as producer and Brain Rosemeyer serving as recording engineer. The process was considered more lengthy than its predecessors, which were recorded in sometimes as little as a day. The excitement of working with Schnapf begat a creative period for Johnson: "suddenly a switch turned on in my brain, and I started writing a lot of really good stuff," he said. Three of the album's songs—"Over Before It Began", "Make Me Dumb", and "This Song Is a Mess and So Am I"—were composed in only a day. Johnson aimed to include more of his initial thoughts when penning lyrics, which frightened him: "I didn't try and paint a different picture of who I am or how my brain works. I left some of the more unsightly bits in there. It's scary, and it was even scary to show my bandmates. I was worried they'd think I was losing my mind," he said. Johnson had a particularly inspired period of writing in November 2015, penning nearly forty songs that "came out finished" but nonetheless did not make the track listing. Schnapf worked with the band on
structuring Structuring, also known as smurfing in banking jargon, is the practice of executing financial transactions such as making bank deposits in a specific pattern, calculated to avoid triggering financial institutions to file reports required by law ...
its songs differently, devoting more attention to Johnson's
melodies A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of pitch and rhythm, while more figuratively, the term ca ...
. The team set the song's BPM to where the vocal melody sounded most comfortable, which gave some songs a slower, more melancholy feeling, according to Johnson. The songs on ''Cody'' differ from previous Joyce Manor albums in that only two are short—previous efforts emphasized bracingly fast arrangements. From a songwriting standpoint, this includes devices like inverted chords, additional verses, varying tempos, and memorable
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
s. Regarding his past focus on brisk songs, Johnson admitted, "I think it truly amefrom my lack of knowledge of arranging." Scnahpf did not approach his role any differently than his usual mode: "I didn't really approach it in any way other than thinking about trying to get all the chord inversions and those bits of Barry and Chase to both rock and still be able to stack up and spread out." He called Ebert a "one-
take A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each ...
wonder" and praised Enzor as an exceptional percussionist. Schanpf had a specific way he wanted to go about recording, according to Johnson, and the quartet wanted to respect his process. Oregonian
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
act Dear Nora and
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
band
Sun Kil Moon Sun Kil Moon is an American folk rock act from San Francisco, California, founded in 2002. Initially a continuation of the defunct indie rock band Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon is now the primary recording moniker of vocalist and guitarist M ...
were influences on the sound of ''Cody'', and Johnson pointed to Schnapf's previous work with pop punk pioneers Saves the Day, and their 2001 album '' Stay What You Are'', as a good point of reference for the sonic quality they strove to achieve for ''Cody''. After completion, the LP was mastered by Mark Chalecki at Little Red Book Mastering in Los Angeles, California. Additional guitar parts are credited to a "Ralph" in the album booklet.


Themes and songwriting

''Cody'' is the longest Joyce Manor album to date, clocking in at twenty-four minutes long. It thematically tackles the process of aging, and its associated anxieties.
Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Caramanica received his bachelor's degree ...
, staff writer at ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', suggested this takes root in multiple forms: "acknowledgment of the gap between what you like and what the kids like, acceptance that growing older does not always come with actual personal evolution, recognition that the exuberance of youth was just a performance, and so many more." Johnson identified the album as displaying a tender quality above all: "I'm just a big softy now and that's coming out through the songs. It wasn't even a conscious thing but it wasn't anything that I was afraid of. I wanted to embrace that," he said. Historically, some lyrics had led listeners to assume Johnson was writing in first-person, though he were actually writing in character. Within ''Cody'', however, many songs are based on actual experiences, or people he interacted with. "Fake I.D." centers on the protagonist having a
one-night stand A one-night stand is a single sexual encounter in which there is no expectation that there shall be any further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single night performanc ...
with someone younger, who enjoys hearing themselves talk, about the immeasurable talent of
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
, who she opines is better than the actor
Phil Hartman Philip Edward Hartman (; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American comedian, actor, screenwriter and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, and his family moved to the United States when he w ...
, or the author
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...
. As the song concludes, Johnson retreats to his memories, alluding to the death of his friend Brandon Carlisle, the drummer of
Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
punk act Teenage Bottlerocket, who unexpectedly passed away in 2015. Johnson said the lyrics of "Fake I.D." toe the line between "idiotic" and realistic; "the song reads like a fucking ClickHole article or something," he said. He characterized its follow-up, the contemplative "Eighteen", as the opposite of a
coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
song: its lyrics are about ''being'' old, rather than the common pop-punk trope of songs about growing up. Its final lyric finds Johnson singing, "I feel so old today." "Angel in the Snow" features backing vocals from Nate Ruess, best known for his work with pop act Fun.
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contributor Tom Breihan highlighted the unusual nature of the pairing, suggesting that Ruess' talent as a vocalist was knowingly obscured by being "buried deep in the mix". Johnson had invited Ruess via email, and when the two met for drinks, they hit it off, finding they had much in common. "Do You Really Want to Not Get Better" is a slow, acoustic
duet A duet (italian language, Italian: ''duo'') is a musical composition for two Performing arts, performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a har ...
with the then-nascent songwriter
Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...
, which lyrically tackles a friend's struggle with addiction. " Last You Heard of Me" details a predictable night at a
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
karaoke bar, and a regretful romantic entanglement with a crush. "Stairs", the longest song the band had recorded to this point, begins with Johnson—"or his character"—bemoaning the fact that he's 26 and must " still live with isparents." The track takes an alarming turn midway through, with Johnson pleading to watch a loved one "sleep for weeks" while tied to a bed. The song was written nearly a decade prior; Johnson re-discovered the song performing on an acoustic tour with Hop Along's Frances Quinlan, and decided to re-work it for its inclusion on ''Cody''.


Release and commercial performance

The album was originally titled ''Dear Nora Jonestown Massacre'', but came to be titled after a name once proposed for the band itself. The cover art of ''Cody'' is a photograph of a dog gnawing a
mannequin A mannequin (sometimes spelled as manikin and also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off dif ...
head. It was added to the project at the last second; the original art, a drawing of potted plants, was created by band friend Alex Fielder and utilized for its interior booklet. This original illustration got as far as the printers for the jackets/cases; upon being suggested the photo by Adam DeGross, Johnson immediately adopted it for the album. The back cover also makes usage of Epitaph's original "tombstone" logo, since retired, but a mainstay of many punk albums in the 1990s, including
NOFX NOFX () was an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Bassist/lead vocalist Fat Mike, rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin were original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...
's ''
Punk in Drublic ''Punk in Drublic'' is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on July 19, 1994, through Epitaph Records. The title is a spoonerism of "Drunk in Public". ''Punk in Drublic'' is NOFX's most successful albu ...
'' and
the Offspring The Offspring is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Garden Grove, California, in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Dexter Holland, Bryan "Dexter" Holland, ...
's '' Smash''. Johnson liked the photocopied, DIY look of the original, and asked to have it used instead of the label's newer, stylized font. Joyce Manor first announced ''Cody'' on August 8, 2016, as well as lead single "Fake I.D.". Its music video, directed by Christopher Good, saw release on August 23; It was followed by second single "Last You Heard of Me" on September 14; it received a music video, also helmed by Good, which was released on October 5. Its third and final single, "Eighteen", was issued with its music video on December 7; it showcases footage of the band performing live in the inaugural tour supporting ''Cody'', and was shot by Bob Vielma. ''Cody'' was projected by critics to be a consequential moment in the group's career; many expected it to elevate the band to mainstream heights or alienate their fanbase, and indeed, fans were initially uncertain in their impression of the album. Collin Brennan at online magazine
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
listed it among the publication's most anticipated albums of that season. Upon release, ''Cody'' peaked at the very bottom of the ''Billboard'' 200, at number #192, a drop from its predecessor. Still, this reaction was not on par with what the band had been led to believe: "It wasn't like the album that changed shit for us for good or bad," Johnson said later. "It wasn't career destroying or career making. It was just carer continuing." It ended up being their only album with Enzor behind the drum kit; he was replaced on 2018's ''Million Dollars to Kill Me'' by Pat Ware, of the group Spraynard. "Make Me Dumb" was included on the soundtrack of the
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
'' Forza Horizon 3''.


Critical reception

Altogether, its reaction upon release was strong, with the album earning favorable reviews from many critics.
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, a site that aggregates reviews from critics, gives the album 79 out of 100 based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". David Sackllah, writing for
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
, expressed a similar sentiment: "While not quite an identity crisis, Cody is first and foremost a record of reflection and exploration." In a positive review,
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
's Quinn Moreland praised the risks the band took: "For the first time, a Joyce Manor album includes an acoustic track and a song over four minutes", while also praising their ability to stay themselves: " ..every track contains enough blunt expressions of existential despair to tie them to their angsty past." Though the site gave it positive marks, Pitchfork included ''Cody'' in its year-end list of "disappointments," with writer Matthew Schnipper deriding ''Cody'' as an attempt to sound like the band Everclear.


Accolades


Touring

To support the release, Joyce Manor embarked on several international tours. The first in support of ''Cody'' was a North American jaunt in August and October 2016, joined by the bands Diet Cig, the Hotelier, and
Crying Crying is the dropping of tears (or welling of tears in the eyes) in response to an emotional state or physical pain. Emotions that can lead to crying include sadness, anger, joy, and fear. Crying can also be caused by relief from a period ...
. Tickets sold quicker according to Cody Sizemore, talent buyer and promotions for Innovation Concerts. Within the new year, the group had announced a tour with AJJ, again touring across North America between January and February 2017. Afterwards, the group played some one-off California shows, followed by a brief stint in
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and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
in May and June with
the Smith Street Band The Smith Street Band are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, in which the titular Smith Street can be found. The band have released five extended plays and six studio albums, ''No One Gets Lost Anymore'' (2011), ''Sunshine and T ...
. In July, the quartet embarked on a two-week tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland, alongside English band
Martha Martha (Aramaic language, Aramaic: מָרְתָא‎) is a Bible, biblical figure described in the Gospels of Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John. Together with her siblings Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is descr ...
. Later in the year, the group mounted a co-headlining tour with fellow Californian pop-punkers
Wavves Wavves is an American rock band based in San Diego, California. Formed in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams (born June 12, 1986), the band also features Alex Gates (guitar, backing vocals), Stephen Pope (bass guitar, backing vocals) an ...
, assisted on dates by Culture Abuse and French Vanilla; the trek took place between October and November 2017. Tracks from ''Cody'' initially received a chilly reception by audiences. "If you went to any Joyce Manor shows at the time, there was a significant dip in energy whenever a ''Cody'' song came up," wrote journalist Ian Cohen. Johnson himself concurred, but noted the reception improved over time:


Track listing


Personnel

Joyce Manor * Barry Johnson – guitar, vocals * Chase Knobbe – guitar * Jeff Enzor – drums, cover layout * Matt Ebert – bass guitar Additional musicians *
Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...
– backing vocals on "Do You Really Want to Not Get Better?" *
Nate Ruess Nathaniel Joseph Ruess (pronounced ; born February 26, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. He formed the indie rock band The Format in 2002, and later went on to form the band fun. in 2008. He emerged as a solo act with his guest per ...
– backing vocals on "Angel in the Snow" Production * Rob Schnapfproduction * Brain Rosemeyer –
recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproducti ...
* Mark Chalecki –
mastering engineer Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the Audio mixing (recorded music), final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source ...
* Alex Fiedler – artwork * Adam DeGross – photography


Charts


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2016 albums Epitaph Records albums Joyce Manor albums