The Cave Singers seem to be very much a Mojo band, if you know what I mean. More than likely to appeal to a man of a certain age and while there's nothing wrong with these albums as such, it's a shame that Welcome Joy doesn't quite have the quality to crossover into the minds and ears of any wider populace.After sampling last year's well received Invitation Songs and being distinctly underwhelmed, another set of woozy, yearning folk pop didn't seem necessary - and, unfortunately, the same shortcomings are all too suddenly apparent. It is a simple problem but a major one, throughout the album all the songs are far too content to settle into a vaguely pretty groove and sit there for three minutes or so. There is little or no spark or adventure and absolutely no edge. and you might not want or expect bite form alt-country but in that case there isn't the heart wrenching beauty that would make Cave Singers peers of the likes of Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver rather than would be contemporaries who have fallen by the way side.Perhaps that's somewhat harsh, Welcome Joy is amiable enough as background music but if anyone can listen to the record and then remember any of it five minutes hence then it would be some feat. 'Leap' borrows predictable Dylan-esque harmonica and clattering steam train drums while 'Shrine' backs in faux-mysticism and a distinctly eastern guitar line.'Beach House' does manage to tap into a well of profundity and have an impact that is lacking on the majority of the tracks and the closing 'Bramble' is another slightly brighter moment which manages to break from the general malaise. But, it's not quite enough, and the whole record is very much the sound of a band in their comfort zone.So back to the drawing board it seems. After two albums of this in two years it may be that Cave Singers simply need to take their time for the next record to really conjure some music with lasting impact. You feel that its within them and you want to like them but in reality they could be churning out an album a year of such bland bland music until the end of time and it really wouldn't be a surprise. 59%The Cave Singers on Myspace