Popping out of the New Zealand underground, SHOWHILLA. by skinnyandsoft is a sonic novelty presenting an introspective dive into mental health, drug use, and self-reflection. The project blends genre influences from hip-hop, indie rock, and hyperpop into a cohesive yet unpredictable package. Each track is intricately detailed and often contains pleasant surprises of captivating sound design, rewarding attentive listeners who immerse themselves in the album. Although, while the apparent innovation and complexities make a very exciting first listen, the album’s replay value wanes as its novelty begins to fade. Even still, SHOWHILLA. is a towering expression of sincere emotion from an artist who’s carving space for the Kiwi accent in a global experimental scene.

SHOWHILLA. provides raw insight into skinnyandsoft’s struggles with mental health and drug dependencies, but does so in a very refreshing, flavourful way. The expression feels unfiltered rather than performative, with a vocal delivery that carries an agonising sense of authenticity. This expression is kicked off immediately with the track Show Me Yourself, which sets a low energy, contemplative mood with an indie rock presentation to underpin the project. But skinnyandsoft doesn’t settle here for long, while the contemplative mood more or less remains, the energy and genre shifting aspect shows some movement from the next track, Dmg_Cntrl. 

As the project unfolds we see a bit more influence from hip-hop and hyperpop, weaving in sharper percussion, glitchy textures, and brighter synth layering. Rather than losing cohesion, these changes heightened anticipation; I found myself eager to hear what direction skinnyandsoft would take next. The production across SHOWHILLA. is rich with detail and clearly crafted with intent, but it isn’t flawless. While the headphone experience reveals a lush, immersive soundscape full of intricate layering and subtle stereo play, the mix doesn’t come across as refined when played through speakers. That’s not to say that the speaker experience is bad, it’s still very enjoyable, just in contrast to the headphone experience the lows tend to muddy the mix.

Skinnyandsoft’s vocal performance is one of the project’s strongest aspects, the vocal mix generally sits well in the instrumental and the vocal layering and adlibs provide a sparkle when empty space allows it. His delivery rarely feels forced or out of place. Some of the stronger vocal performances come in the tracks Dmg_Cntrl and OMA? where the mixture of experimentation, layering, and the use of stereo play provide an impressive unique experience. Although, other tracks like Get You Right feel a bit out of place and almost amateurish in terms of what the vocals and lyricism offer. Only occasionally can the delivery cross over into mumbling territory, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in certain themes, but it didn’t feel very fitting with what the rest of the project was set out to achieve.
Something refreshing about skinnyandsoft’s delivery is his embracement of the Kiwi accent, which, in my experience, risks sounding awkward. This can be especially true in poppier tracks like Feel No Pain!, but instead it sounds so natural and authentic.

SHOWHILLA. does some great stuff, it’s willingness to experiment with a few different genres and the expression shown through the vocals and lyricism make it stand out. My first listen is the type of experience I cherish when listening to music, the anticipation of what the artist will bring next, nothing too predictable but it all works well together. It’s not perfect though, some vocal moments are little questionable and the replay value doesn’t quite hold up, but that doesn’t take away from how engaging the first few listens are (which is what I’ll base the verdict primarily on). Through headphones especially, the details in the layering and instrumental really shine, really immersing you into what’s on offer. Overall, it’s a strong, mature project that captures the feeling of an artist expressing his true self, and having fun with sound design while doing so. It’s imperfect, but maybe I prefer that way.