Album Review: The Feels

Once I put the w on the end of Marshmellow, it became clear that the alter-ego of singer-songwriter Marshall Smith based in Auckland definitely was not a DJ/EDM artist masquerading as a soft chewy sugar based confectionery, but a well-established award winning New Zealand based composer and producer, writing music for major international movies, documentaries and commercials. You might know his face from many TV adverts and presenter of Big Wednesday. The Feels is the latest album written and produced by Marshmellow.

This album is a collaboration featuring our local talent Kings and Russian Evgeny Teilor along with many other talented musicians. A thirteen track journey of slightly different styles, The Feels is upbeat and positive pop merging with fresh and groovy dance tracks finishing off on a slightly jazzy note.

The Feels is a well-produced album, a tight clean sound from beginning to end with a standout album cover which needs a mention.

Marshall is the Managing Director of the leading music production house The Sound Room and also Chairperson of the Screen Composers Guild of NZ, so it comes as no surprise the level of professional high quality sound production.

The Feels (track one) has been described as a “feel good dance anthem” and this vibe continues through each of the songs with an optimistic and cheerful theme.

There is a pop flavour to this album; however Glorious Future had me easily visualising dancing in a night club. The younger version of me anyway. It is a definite dance anthem to my ears, that wouldn’t be out of place in regular rotation on a certain dance and electronic type station. Snappy, clean beat with utopian sounding lyrics.

The Feels has a crisp, fresh modern sound which I would recommend delving into.