Smushie “Doofus Casanova” Album Review

Chicago’s own Smushie released his debut album, Doofus Casanova, on June 10th of 2023, just in time for summer. This album is the epitome of a road trip soundtrack, with its light guitar and folk rock beats, pulling inspiration from the laid back sounds of the 70’s like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon.

Immediately based on the title of the album I had a feeling that we were going to be in for a treat being that “doofus” and “casanova” are two opposites to describe a person, but put together seem to poke fun at someone or something. The name of the album is reflective of its sound and lyrics as Smushie seems to make light of dark situations as well as himself.

The album contains nine songs, totaling roughly 26 minutes in which we are taken through a journey of happy sounding guitar chords, super interesting vocals, and loads of percussion. I found myself instinctively head bobbing and hip swaying the whole listen through and each time I listen to it again.

The first track on Doofus Casanova is Sharp Edge. The song starts with a drum fill and is accompanied by piano chords that make you feel like the sun is shining on you regardless of where you are and what time of the year it is; the type of sound that makes you wish you were at the beach or driving down winding roads. The song is whimsical, infectious, and does an excellent job of opening up the album to the songs that follow. 

Smushie’s singing is what really drew me to want to hear this album over and over. His voice is not super melodic, giving his songs an edge similar to that of Houndmouth, but a bit more rock heavy. Perfectly imperfect is what I would say to describe Smushie’s vocals. What I believe makes his sound so unique is the layering harmonies we hear that throw off the balance of a tune, but in the best way. A great exemplification of this is from the second track on the album called “Tulip Schmaltz in A Minor.” The vocal style reminds me of the album “The Seven Foot Tall Post-Suicidal Feel Good Blues” by Nancy and if you’ve ever listened to it you’ll know exactly what I mean. It’s hard to tell exactly how many layers of harmony are recorded, but that is what I absolutely adore about Doofus Casanova.

I find that all of my favorite songs are happy but have an undertone of uneasiness to them, and this album is exactly that. While the instrumentation is positive and happy, there is an underlying minor tone of creepiness that shifts the entirety of the album’s sound, making it a super interesting listen whether it’s the first time around or the fifth. Upon first listen, you are deceived into thinking that the content of what you hear is upbeat and positive. After really listening to the lyrics, I found myself smiling at the irony; it sort of serves as a reminder that you just have to make fun of yourself sometimes, which is what the name of the album alludes to. 

I can confidently say that this album is consistent and gets better each time I listen to it. If you’re looking for an album with promising guitar, dark lyrics, great percussion, and bright sounds, I could not recommend Doofus Casanova more.