A piss in the wind,
Defined as a futile gesture that amounts to nothing. Something that will most likely backfire. Why bother?
I’m glad he did.
As far as pop music goes, I’m really picky. Still not sure why certain things click for me (I.e. my love for Sabrina carpenter, or obsession with CHVRCHES) but some stuff just does. I’ve been following George Miller since before he started making music as Joji, take that for what you will.
After a very lackluster 3rd album, which now has become very clear it was more a contractual obligation record (the writing personnel list on that last album was essay length long). Joji is back to writing for himself and having artistic freedom it seems. And that brings us to “Piss In The Wind”. Back are the dense tracklists (Smithereens was 9 tracks long vs Nectar being double that), and heavy synth laden beats. This album is very nice on the ears, his vocals are incredibly heartfelt, almost soothing. A lot of these songs feel like slow burns and the payoff is always good. I laid back on my couch last night and listened to it twice front to back to soak it all in. Let me be clear, this album oozes emotion.
Quick fun little backstory, the only time in my life I have gone “viral” or close to it was a time I met Joji in public, and he took a photo with me. Something he apparently doesn’t do often. I was mildly aware of his younger generation fandom, but I was made aptly known of it when the photo of us was reposted thousands of times, and people figured out where my job was based on the photo. That social media account has long been deleted but it is still something my friends and I laugh about from time to time.
Something that caught me off guard is the very clear love letter to My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless”with the track LOVE YOU LESS, almost makes me want to hear a shoegaze band with Miller fronting it.
Standout tracks - LOVE YOU LESS, Sojourn, Cigarettes, Last Of A Dying Breed.
As a whole this album feels like the auditory equivalent of a long drive after a bad argument to clear your head. It’s dreamy, sorrowful and wears its heart on the sleeve. It’ll have you asking why put in the effort to anything, if it’ll just go wrong. But go ahead, make that leap. You’ll be glad you did.
9/10 yours truly, - SBC