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Writer's pictureLammbi

Album Review: Marshmello - Joytime


A "Joyride" through overproduced, dated EDM pastiche.

I'm coming out here and say that, if you're going to listen to Marshmello, just listen through his recent stuff with Halsey or yet the late Juice WRLD, because going back through this older stuff is going to be a headache and a half.


And for a 2016 release, most of the production that Marshmello laid over his debut is a dated mess. Synths that's ingrained in volume over texture, percussions and trap beats that are overly lacking in impact and gets pushed back by said synths, pitched vocals that loop over and over that will probably split your brain just because of how they don't exactly add up to an already ear-splitting dated EDM sound with trap percussions that don't mesh well. And I've already seen other people say this, but most of these do sound like 'Youtube background music' that you can use in your intros or worse, throughout the whole video. And I think he works really well with vocalists that can give Marshmello a sense of control and actual quality, which is why the last song is a bit good even if the production stays lacking all throughout.


I'll say this, I'm glad that Marshmello's production managed to improve in recent memory (and also shows that he is at his best when he's working with a vocalist) because he kind of strayed to this dated sound and pushed himself further into creating better production and melodies that synergize and even elevate the presence of the vocalist that he works with. This is just not it, that's all.


Favorite song: Keep it Mello


Least Favorite: A lot of them.

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