After nearly a four-year hiatus, Japanese-Australian singer-songwriter George Miller, professionally known as Joji, makes a return through his fourth studio album titled “Piss in the Wind,” offering an experimental departure in sound that maintains some familiarity with the emotionally raw and melancholic lyricism that Joji is known for.
In comparison to the mellow simplicity of “Smithereens,” his previous release in 2022, his latest project offers a darker and more complex sound made through a messy and volatile production that is unafraid to introduce chaos within a track.
The album opens with the aggressive electronica that is “PIXELATED KISSES,” which shows Joji “goin’ insane” due to the frustrations of a long distance relationship. It’s heavy with a growling bassline and lyrics that are all too relatable in a digital age.
In contrast, “Cigarette” creates a more introspective, moody atmosphere, offering a softer sound while maintaining themes of vulnerability. Rather than relying on intensity, the lyrics take a more nuanced approach to create emotional weight.
The contrast between intense, unrelenting tracks like “DYKILY” and the softer melancholy of tracks such as “If It Only Gets Better” defines the genre-blending tone of the album, colliding lo-fi drill and trap beats with a hazy, dreamy ambience. Through this variety of sound, the album succeeds in creating a unique listening experience that reflects the various emotions that are driven by heartache and yearning.
These themes and experimentation with sound are most effectively realized in “Sojourn.” The song initially echoed a similar digital intensity to previous tracks, as Joji reflects on fleeting love and nostalgia, before stripping down into a minimalist bridge that accepts time’s impermanence. The song then swells back into a powerful final chorus.
Building on this emotional depth, “Forehead Touch the Ground” is a short, slow track rooted in cultural tradition. The chorus and title alludes to a “dogeza,” a Japanese practice that expresses deep apology by bowing one’s forehead to the ground. In this track, Joji sings that if his love returns, may their forehead “touch the ground again and again.”
Although the album is largely successful in its themes and production, the collaborative tracks offer a mixed variety of quality.
American R&B singer-songwriter Giveon’s feature in “Piece of You” feels out of place, even within such an experimental project. The contrast between the soft tones of Joji’s vocals versus the overwhelming distortion of Giveon is distractingly dissonant.
A similar issue appears on “Rose Colored,” which features American rapper Yeat. Although this song tried to experiment with a different sound, its excessive production hindered it from hitting its mark.
Despite this, features from 4batz and Don Toliver succeed in “Fade to Black” and “Fragments,” complementing Joji’s style rather than clashing with it.
The long-anticipated album proves its risks worthwhile, experimenting with new sounds while staying true to the emotional lyricism Joji is known for.
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