The Private Memoirs and Confessions of The Just Joans is an album drawing on two traditions.
First, the stripped back lo-fi early 90s indie. You know, casio keyboards, lightweight guitar and strongly foregrounded lyrics. Think Heavenly and The Field Mice.
Second, the artistic provision of a dry, cynical and defeated outlook on life, present in both indie music and Scottish culture.
Put the two together and you get an album of twee indie with the kind of dark twists and humour that you could expect in an Irvine Welsh novel.
The album is in some ways a homage to the Scottish masters: Belle & Sebastien, Arab Strap and Delgados.
Thirty years ago The Private Memoirs… would have been a ‘find’ amongst the underground indie scene; the album would have been replicating itself across the cassette sharing community of the time.
Now you can listen to it online for free, and without being part of any scene: https://shop.fikarecordings.com/album/you-might-be-smiling-now
https://www.thejustjoans.co.uk/
