“That guy looks like the one from the Jonas Brothers” (a random YouTube user)
“He is Joe Jonas” (another random YouTube user replying)
Joe Jonas, you might now him from …well the Jonas Brothers, he tried his hand at a solo career but let’s just say it wasn’t working out, not because there was a lack of talent but his sound was too familiar to what his brothers and him had done together before. That sound well wasn’t what he needed to do in order to get a more mature crowd into his music, so there was a pause, no noise, nothing from him. Then a band popped into the scene, their name DNCE. They came with a catchy tune that was being heard almost everywhere. If it hadn’t been for the music video I would’ve never guessed that the lead singer was no other than Joe Jonas. That a good thing in my opinion, because it means he has evolved and his voice has matured and it’s not the Joe Jonas show but DNCE, he wants the band to work out and to stay and be part of the music scene.
And now DNCE have an EP out called Swaay which includes 4 songs: “Cake by the ocean” (the one with the catchy tune), “Pay my rent”, “Toothbrush” and “Jinx”.
EP: Swaay
Label: Republic Records
Members:
Joe Jonas – lead vocals
Jack Lawless – drums
Cole Whittle – bass guitar, keyboards
JinJoo Lee – guitar
Now the actual review …
The album gives us a mix of familiar sound with new DNCE style sounds and this creates catchy music that you can either sing along or hum along.
“Cake by the ocean” takes advantage of Joe’s vocal range and creates a song that you can party too or just put it on while on a fun date (your choice). The song is fun, simple and straightforward but that is all you need from it, you just need to enjoy it, don’t over think it and just have some cake … by the ocean if you live close to one (east coast and west coast you can do this, if you are in the middle then I guess not).
With “Pay my rent” we continue having fun and keeping it simple and straightforward but we change a bit of pace with “Toothbrush” and we get a pseudo-love song for 2016 that invites a relationship to grow by not rushing and leaving a toothbrush at the guys place and to having something they’ve never had, it focuses on little things like how a girl looks strangely attractive to guys with just their underwear and our t-shirts on (I don’t know why but most of us would agree with this, maybe it’s the fact that women look so open, vulnerable, cute and strangely sexy with that look or … I can only come up with that).
Lastly we have “Jinx”, which is actually a love song and because of the lyrics and the music actually my favorite song of the EP. It’s a great song from the intro to the end, and just speaks about a simple thing: a guy not wanting to jinx the possibility of LOVE (capital letters because we (me) only really put effort for what we feel real and with a future). It mentions how we want to be better; to be Mr. Right because that girl we whisper I love you’s could be the one and “like a birthday wish, don’t say it out loud.”
Overall the EP is a great first step for DNCE and it keeps wanting more from and waiting anxiously for their first full studio album. As a rating I would give it an 8/10 and encourage them to keep on growing and experimenting with their music and the range their singer has.
