Attempting to compile a list of good side-project albums by drummers of successful bands is a task that will have you stumped almost from the beginning. It appears that Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti has done the impossible, though, with Little Joy, the band he formed in 2008 with Rodrigo Amarante of the Brazilian band Los Hermanos and Los Angeles singer/songwriter Binki Shapiro. Fab doesn't do the singing, but he wrote (or co-wrote) all the songs and provides a good portion of musical backing for Amarante and Shapiro's restrained vocals. Not only is the result not the embarrassment that some more uncharitable people may have anticipated, but Little Joy is a good -- sometime very good -- album. A laid-back and easy to digest album with no grand statements to absorb or deeper meanings to dig for, it's made up of simple songs recorded simply and sung sweetly. The variety of influences on display (like midtempo Memphis soul, lovers rock, bossa nova, early-'70s singer/songwriters, and sunshiny pop) gives you an idea of the mood the record conjures. The pieces are mixed and matched smoothly and with an ease and peaceful grace, making the record a joy to listen to. The hooky songs with summery grooves (the sweetly romantic "Brand New Start," "No One's Better Sake") and the semi-rockers (the kinda Stroke-y "Keep Me in Mind") are the first to grab you, but the quiet acoustic songs are just as nice. The gentle touch they display on "Unattainable" and "Don't Watch Me Dancing" is far from what you'd expect from the drummer of the Strokes, but it works perfectly for the trio. It's unlikely that this will become Moretti's full-time gig anytime soon, but he's using his downtime to the fullest with Little Joy.
© Tim Sendra /TiVo