George Kusunoki Miller, the Japanese-Australian singer best known as Joji (and formerly as YouTube star Filthy Frank), has always gravitated toward moody atmospheres in his serious music.
As if hungry to demonstrate more ways to resonate with the heartbroken in his audience, Joji burst into 2026 on Friday, Feb. 6 with “Piss In The Wind,” his first album since his 2022 release “Smithereens.” The album is also his first project released by his own label, Palace Creek. At 46 minutes long and 21 tracks, there’s plenty of songs on the shorter side and only one track longer than three minutes.
From the second the album starts with “Pixelated Kisses,” the first of many singles released, listeners face a blaring, static-like synth that ripples with an undercutting trap beat. The noise ebbs and flows as Joji, in typical fashion, sings about romantic disconnection, focusing on the insufficient “pixelated kisses” from a long-distance relationship.
It’s a promising, cinematic start with a clear and developed identity. That same sense of purpose shines brightly on “Last of a Dying Breed,” where Joji’s crooning backing vocals elevate the ethereal synth and rushing beat to a beautiful tune, one that matches the desperate lyrics. Things change yet again on the next track, “Love You Less,” driven by dreamy guitar lines that could be off a Cocteau Twins album.
These songs aren’t necessarily pushing the envelope compared to Joji’s typical output, but they do carry a sense of completeness, something other tracks can fail to deliver on. “If It Only Gets Better” is a delicate cut built around Joji’s soft vocals, but at only a minute long, it feels more like an interlude than anything substantial. Yet it still has more of an identity than the repetitive beat of following track, “Love Me Better,” that’s nearly a minute longer.
There’s no end to tracks like “Love Me Better” on the album, songs which build around a simple structure or decent hook but lack enough memorable substance to return to. The songwriting doesn’t help, rarely venturing out thematically or conjuring colorful enough imagery to sell despondence in a refreshing way.
Still, there’s a handful of highlights throughout the album that find ways to stand out given enough listens. “Hotel California” alternates between a languid and momentous pace as Joji sings about being left by a lover, embellishing the refrain: “Lost you in the waves, I’m underwater.”
“Past Won’t Leave My Bed” might be the most powerful ballad on the project, with Joji singing about romanticizing a faded relationship. The ascending vocals, subtle drum fills and bristling guitar effectively sell the forlorn mood. “Sojourn” addresses the same themes but sounds the opposite, bringing back the abrasiveness of “Pixelated Kisses” to reflect on love that was lost.
Throughout the album, Joji brings in a small set of features to try and shake things up. On “Piece of You,” GIVĒON vocals bounce off Joji’s well, adding to the ballad’s emotional effectiveness. The same can be said of 4batz on “Fade to Black,” but with a one-minute runtime, it’s another song akin to an interlude.
On the other hand, Don Toliver’s performance on “Fragments” fits Joji’s sound but does little to elevate it. Yeat’s excessive autotune on “Rose Colored” matches Joji’s pitched down vocals, creating a unique but flawed experience.
Joji closes the project off with “Dior,” a slightly underwhelming note. What begins as another ballad mourning a lost relationship switches halfway through when an aggressive and haunting beat kicks in. But right when it seems like the song’s about to enter a new phase, Joji mutters the words “Please come home,” repeatedly croons and the album ends.
As a whole, “Piss In The Wind” is a nice enough experience, but its rehashed themes and underdeveloped moments can make the overall project wear thin. It holds together best when you want something moody in the background, but given active listens, the cracks begin to show.