"SMITHEREENS" - Joji

underwhelming.

SMITHEREENS. 2 years in the making and after all that time we get 9 songs and 24 minutes of music. When Glimpse of Us came out It set the expectation for something great because that song is so incredibly beautiful and good but it turns out that Glimpse of Us is really the highlight of the album and it's also the first song on the album. Glimpse of Us is a beautiful and heartbreaking piano medley about being in a relationship but not haven moved on from your ex. The songs chorus is heartwrenching, the vocals are somber and great and it's definitely the saddest Joji song so far in my opinion. Usually with songs that are just piano and vocals, I snore but this song is different. It's able to be engaging, interesting, sad and grand while still being minimal and the backing vocals near the end just add to it even more. The next song is the song "Feeling Like The End", the song goes hard with this guitar loop and this trap beat that hits hard. The song ends with the entire song being transposed up by 12 and slowed down and it makes for a weird but cool end. But one thing about this song is, it's really short. It's only 1:42 and leaves a lot to be desired. After that song though we have Die For You. The piano in the beginning is ethereal and the song is a very chill experience all around. The is the type you'd hold your phone in the air with the flashlight on and wave it around but then again, It's not really catchy. It's nice, it's chill but compared to songs like "Run", "Sanctuary" or "Glimpse of Us" it doesn't come close. The same can be said about the song after this one. Before The Day Is Over" is a slow song which weirdly enough reminds me of 50-60's blues like "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" specifically with that chorus. I can imagine a group of 4 guys in black suits singing that on stage while snapping their fingers. Of course it's a lot more modern with the building synth and the drums near the end. The last song on 1st disc is the song "Dissolve". The song sounds like an ending with the looping guitar and the slow buildup and steady cooldown. But as an ending, it's underwhelming. This is one of my least favorite songs off this album.

The second Disc begins with the song "NIGHT RIDER". The song, specifically the beat, reminds me of BALLADS 1, with it's unique and kinda lo-fi beat but it's more of a trap beat than anything else. I like this song but the "I'm so precious" part sounds like something off of "Pink Season" by Pink Guy, which is not a compliment but i don't hate it, it's kinda silly, goofy aaa and it's really out of place but it does kinda feel like we're getting an instance of Joji tapping into the sounds of older stuff but adding his new professional production to it. After that we have the song "BLAHBLAHBLAH DEMO", It doesn't have too much going on it but at the halfway point this screaming vocal in the background enters and idk why but I just love the sound of it. It sounds powerful if though it's just in the background. If it's Joji singing that then I would love to hear him tap into that but maybe for main vocals. Honestly feel like it would make for some powerful moments if that was in the foreground. After that there's the song "YUKON (INTERLUDE). The second single that was released before this album's release and the troubling thing is. I still don't know what makes it an "(Interlude)" It's not an interlude to anything and honestly it's more of a song then "Feeling Like The End". I don't understand why there's two discs and why "YUKON (INTERLUDE)" is on it cause it doesn't lead to any song. It's not an interlude it's just a song. The last song on the album also has this problem where I don't know why it's named what it is. "1AM FREESTYLE". It sounds as much as a song as "Feeling Like The End" and even if it is freestyled, it's not a rap so it's not really impressive or necessary that it's freestyled. The song is nice though, I like the melody and the vocal harmony is nice but with all that being said

I don't understand this album. Glimpse of Us really had me believing that this album was going to be grand, beautiful and heartbreaking but all that I'm left with is disappointment. This feels less like a coherent album and rather a short bundle of songs. It seems like the first disc is the actual project and the second disc is apparently a demo, apparently an interlude, apparently a freestyle and apparently one song. Also the album cover really is a great showcase of what to expect. Barely anything. The album isn't memorable and the album cover isn't either. Kinda funny how they got that right on the money with the cover.

I'm disappointed but i'm not pissed. This isn't a bad record but I just wish there was more. The best songs were already released as singles months before this album came out with Glimpse of Us on an entirely different level of quality from anything else on this album. But never the less, I still like most of these songs.

6.5/10

Favorites: Glimpse of Us, NIGHT RIDER, Second half of BLAHBLAHBLAH DEMO, YUKON (INTERLUDE)

Least Favorites: Dissolve

(This review was written on November 4th, 2022)