CURRENT JOYS - LOVE + POP
Nick Rattigan. The thirty year old Reno native is mostly known for being the lead singer and drummer of popular surf rock band Surf Curse. The group has gained further traction after their song Freaks blew up via Tik Tok last summer and more recently when they were announced as openers for rock powerhouse Greta Van Fleet’s ongoing Starcatcher World Tour.
Many, though, are not aware of Rattigan’s solo project where he has adopted the moniker Current Joys. In the past, he has incorporated styles found in the indie, alternative, and soft rock genres with albums such as Voyager, Wild Heart, and A Different Age but with his newest LP Love + Pop the singer/songwriter has taken a rather different approach.
Let me preface by saying different is by no means a bad thing. Stevie Ray Vaughn was different. Elton John was different. All of the greats were different in one way or another. Contrary to his previously established art, Love + Pop takes a much more pop and rap oriented perspective musically.
Rattigan himself has spoken out that a large inspiration for Love + Pop was the late Lil Peep: a young rapper who rose to fame on Soundcloud before signing with First Class Entertainment. His music tended to fuse trap, rap, hiphop, and even lo-fi at times while his writing discussed darker topics like addiction, depression, and his own issues. We see all of this within Love + Pop as Rattigan explores new realms of creation; which may be upsetting to some long-time fans used to his traditional style but as budding artists it is essential to test new waters and bloom through work.
On Love + Pop, Rattigan collaborated with several artists such as YOURANGEL, Brutus VIII, OddBody, and even famous rapper Lil Yachty. These artists, though divergent from Nick’s previous music, helped ring in the new age of art for the young singer/songwriter. YOURANGEL provided a feminine edge, Lil Yachty spun Gatsby on its head, and the others contributed to the ultimate ambience of Love + Pop; a true accomplishment.
A song worth mentioning off of the record is Moonsickness. Unlike a solid chunk of the rest of Love + Pop, Moonsickness lacks heavy distortion. It stood out to me in specific due to its prominent bass guitar part and the introductory choral arrangement: two beautiful components that raise the bar of Love + Pop. It is a fantastic blend of the new Current Joys and the old Current Joys that truly conjoins the two eras in a way I’ve never seen (or heard) before. Artists in the past have attempted to do this but none have been able to in such a smooth and nearly unnoticeable way.
Aside from Moonsickness, some easter eggs within the album are found on Gatsby and U R The Reason. Gatsby, which features Lil Yachty as mentioned earlier, includes the main riff from Blondie: one of Rattigan’s early songs off of 2013’s Wild Heart. Meanwhile, U R The Reason samples Lala Lala’s 2018 song Destroyer.
As an avid fan going on six years, it is with truth that I can say this new album is an immense step for Nick as an artist. Love + Pop may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it poses as a symbol of what’s to come and what has ended for the project of Current Joys. Rattigan has been in the music industry for a multitude of years now and he certainly knows what he wants: an admirable trait in the grand scheme of things. A whiz on drums, he brings feelings to life both through Current Joys and Surf Curse.
Current Joys on Spotify
Current Joys official website
Current Joys official Instagram
see Nick on tour with Surf Curse