“Smile” is the latest single from Wisconsin’s AV Super Sunshine, the latest entry in a discography that began in 2015 and has accumulated many fine moments and powerful recordings during his nearly five year musical journey under this moniker. We often laud artists in reviews as being “unique” or “like no one else today” and it’s typically well-meaning puffery you can take with either a grain or shaker full of salt. I can state with all seriousness, however, that I believe no one else writing and recording music today is quite like AV Super Sunshine. There are some obvious influences in this song, particularly vocally – it reminds me of prime David Bowie in some respects – but AV Super Sunshine has carved out his own individual niche in modern music and it has proven to be fertile imaginative ground for his muse. I expect that to continue.
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There’s certainly an abundance of evidence why it will contained in the two versions of “Smile”. AV Super Sunshine aims first version of the track at a wider audience than the second, especially with its inclusion of guitar alongside the electronic instrumentation courtesy of sequencers, synthesizers, and keyboards, but it is his vocal that garners most of my attention. He lives every second of his performance for listeners, there’s nothing workmanlike about it, and the clear commitment he brings to each line will hook many listeners into the track. The backing vocals punctuate his contributions in a satisfying way.
It is a much shorter and punchier take on the track than we hear with the house remix. It isn’t an unfair observation to say that, at nearly six minutes in length, this version of the track bites off a little more than it can chew, but one must take into account the audience it is aimed towards. This isn’t a radio ready recording of the song but, instead, one for DJS to push in a live setting and it works on a much wider canvas for that reason. The increased pace of the house remix compared to the first version highlights this and there’s no guitar present in this track – it’s just AV Super Sunshine’s voice and a battery of electronic instruments supporting him throughout. His vocal is a bit different as well with its increased emphasis on percussive phrasing.
The song’s video is another high point for this release. AV Super Sunshine’s penchant for stylish threads comes across, he’s certainly a snappy dresser, but in all seriousness, the use of color and imagery in the music video for “Smile” makes it an even more appealing package. He puts mannequins from the feature films Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Hills Have Eyes to suggestive use in the video and his editing and direction alike give the video a crisp pace. Taken as a whole, there are few weaknesses in the way AV Super Sunshine hits listeners with his latest musical release. “Smile” is a more than worthy addition to his musical history and shows he is as committed as ever to entertaining and elevating new and old fans alike.
Jodi Marxbury