Charlie & Margot, the musical project of Matteo DeBenedetti, release their debut album Joyride. The 8-song (56 min, 10 sec) LP spans from indie to Americana and alternative, and isn’t afraid to wear influences like Jason Isbell and Dr. Dog on its sleeve while still feeling like its own unique piece of art. Produced by longtime friend and collaborator Erik Kase Romero (the Front Bottoms, Lorde, The Bouncing Souls), the fully live tracked debut LP comes with a sense of urgency that can only instill the feeling this is just the opening page of a longer story to come...

I instantly fell in love with Joyride. These 8 songs are infectious, and accessible in a way that makes it hard to not want to hit repeat once the album ends. A big part of the album's charm is how from track to track the band seems to reinvent itself.

There's rock, Americana and indie music here, presented in a way as to appeal to almost all musical tastes. It also feels eerily timeless. It could have been recorded any time from the '80s onwards - and that's a difficult thing to pull off.

I really enjoyed listening to Joyride and I know for sure that it's one album that I'll be returning to time and time again.

8

Nick Smithson