Beauty through Irony
Review Score:
A
July 26 / 2024 –
For me, the discovery of Porter Robinson felt the way I imagine Lewis and Clark must have felt when they reached the west coast of the US. Nurture was nothing short of life affirming. It was one of two pieces of art that hit me in a real way during the pandemic – the other being Bo Burnham’s Inside. Nurture broke through my numb exterior, and Porter Robinson’s music woke me from my hazy, almost coma-like state.
So forgive me if SMILE! : D had my expectations high. Do I think this album made me feel the way Nurture did? No. Did it make me feel something else? Yes. On SMILE! : D, it feels as though Porter discovered a sense of self. Ironic though it may be, it’s still brings a smile to my face.
There’s a line on “KNOCK YOURSELF OUT XD” that has been stuck in my head for weeks:
“Don’t know my schedule on the fifth.
Bitch, I’m Taylor Swift.
Got a hundred-million on my wrist
Physically sick.”
This level of MGMT level irony is immediately followed by a brief anecdote about a fan encounter at an airport – one that Porter Robinson has fond memories of. It’s a moment that he explains makes his career worth continuing. There are many moments like this on the album. Porter Robinson loves the juxtaposition between these popstar-isms and his genuine nature. “Russian Roulette”, for example, quotes a Pitchfork article that calls Porter “the big new thing”. Here, he feels the weight of his career and the effect he has on others. But much like Nurture, he brings us into a bridge that’s life affirming. I find this song almost difficult to revisit. It’s beautiful and bizarre and bombastic. The bridge repeats all manner of mundane life experiences that the song’s hypothetical narrator, or perhaps Porter himself, says he wants to experience “one more time”. And at the climax of this touching, almost tear-jerking bridge, is a crazy electro-breakdown. It’s the kind of thing only Porter Robinson is capable of.
The album feels more personal overall than Nurture. Porter explores more romantic themes, dealing in flowery, romantic anecdotes in a way that he didn’t on his last project. I was happy to hear more of Robinson’s voice on the project. It’s comforting, especially when it isn’t too buried in effects. Songs like “Everything to me” demonstrate this best. Overall, Porter delivers another beautiful project – the kind I’ve come to expect from him.
Review Score:
A
Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.
Leave a Reply