SMITHEREENS / Joji / November 4, 2022
- Joshua Yoo
- Nov 18, 2022
- 1 min read
Like the gradient on the album cover, ‘SMITHEREENS’ blends together all of the lush and nocturnal textures familiar to Joji’s sound, creating a consistent atmosphere that lingers for the album’s entire runtime. And despite this runtime being quite short, Joji manages to fit in a handful of compelling moments of musicality, even if inconsistently at best.
The album is split into two sides, Side A consisting of more spaced out and softer instrumentation combined with various romantic themes centered around longing. The chilling “Glimpse of Us” and equally heart-wrenching “Die For You” headline the first disc as two of Joji’s best ballads ever, each a holistic experience with breathtakingly beautiful piano work. The other tracks follow in their footsteps, also manufacturing potent song ideas, but they lack the time or progression to fully flesh them out.
Side B features more off-kilter production from Joji himself, matching the sense of loss mixed into the songs’ topics. The titles of these tracks signal the very straightforward nature of the arrangements, which again still contain convincing musical elements that work in a mesh of different genres. But songs like ‘1AM FREESTYLE’ and ‘NIGHT RIDER’ are framed more like a snapshot, where it feels as though they belong to a larger musical idea that isn’t available to hear. It makes the already short lengths of these songs feel even shorter.
However brief though, the composition across ‘SMITHEREENS’ is undeniably captivating, as Joji continues to carve deeper into his own distinctive style. The appeal is most certainly there for those who subscribe to his sound.
Highlight(s): Die For You, Glimpse of Us, Before The Day Is Over
Lowlight(s): Dissolve, BLAHBLAHBLAH DEMO
SCORE: 6
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