There was a trick to Joy Division. New listeners might think of vocalist Ian Curtis's death and believe the band was extremely bleak and dark. There was that element, for sure, but that was not all the band was.
There was a light in the darkness and an appreciation that music could help one find their way even when all hope seemed lost. For Curtis, maybe making music might have been, but then he had a crippling disease and personal issues. Those would have happened despite the music. The music might have helped him deal a bit longer than he otherwise would have been able to.
This is where American musical artist Autumn Not Fall comes in. You may not have heard of them as they are not exactly played on your local radio station. That is likely left to the likes of Styx or Metallica. You can hear those bands anywhere at any time, but that does not make them special. A music lover will search for a new and excellent experience. Autumn Not Fall is that.
New American band fills your void of something that sounds like Joy Division
The production of Autumn Not Fall is sparse. That is part of the charm, if one can call it that. That is likely not the intent. You might feel even a kinship with lesser-known Britpop bands from the 1990s. Or possibly even the Strokes, an American band of such extreme New York-ness that you will feel as if you are in the city itself even if you have never been there.
On Autumn Not Fall songs, the lyrics are buried. The guitar is a bit ting-y, but only in a way to scream out for reassurance in a world that is growing sadder. That is what makes the music undyingly interesting. You might go into the songs feeling upset and searching for affirmation. Autumn Not Fall will deliver, but only as much to help you find your own way home.
The musical artist's true gift is understanding the space in tracks. Maybe you need a release from the starkness (one that is not unafraid to call someone such as Ethel Cain, an unofficial family member), but there will be no Smashing Pumpkins influence fully felt. The music is for you and you to do with as you wish. Just as Joy Division wanted. Just as Autumn Not Fall does.