[Review] When You’re Smiling At Me – Joe Macre

Michael September 7, 2022 0

Feel good songs are getting more and more rare, as music begins to lean towards its cynical side.
Outright positivity can often be seen as naive and silly, but in reality that’s only because a lot of it is
poorly written and insincere. When well done, a good positivity song can really lift the listeners’ spirits
and put you in a good mood.

Today’s song on review, Joe Macre’s new single “When You’re Smiling At Me,” aims to do just that. It’s
pleasantly warm song all about how a smile from someone he loves can make his day better. While
some may find it somewhat cheesy, we’ll give it a closer look and give you our own thoughts on the
single. So, let’s get straight into it.

Musically, the song is mostly made up of clean and sweet acoustic guitars playing the main melody.
Other elements do get added however, primarily a catchy and punchy bassline that kicks in from the
start of the song. There’s also an electric lead guitar, that blares occasionally to add some flavor and
pizzazz during slower moments.

Outside of that, the bulk of the melody is composed of background vocals, juxtaposed against Joe
Macre’s own vocals. Songs like these live and die on their vocal performances, and thankfully Joe
delivers on “When You Smile At Me.” His vocals match up perfectly with the tone and vibe the song is
trying to achieve, and he sounds sincere and joyful, which is key to these types of songs.

The songwriting here matches the comfortable, laid back and happy vibe. You really do get the sense
that Joe finds this person’s smile to be something that lifts him up and motivates him in life, and he
keeps up this energy for the entire song. It makes for an incredibly heartfelt tribute to his partner, and
we for one, quite enjoy simple happy moments he sings about.

We also found the production on the single fittingly enjoyable. It’s kept relatively sparse and clean, with
warm reverb only on Joe’s voice. It results in a song that sounds nostalgic and joyful, which is definitely
the intended effect here.

Overall, we found “When You Smile At Me,” to be a soft, pleasant and heartfelt single, one that tugs at
your heartstrings in the best way. We enjoyed our time listening to it, and if you’re a fan of simple,
pretty-sounding tunes, you’ll love what Joe Macre has to offer here.