‘Goin’ solo’ without a vocal collaborator on his latest release, Marshmello impresses on his brief, but jam-packed instrumental single, “Tell Me.”  

Marshmello has been on fire as of late, specifically throughout the course of 2017-18.  The ‘relatively anonymous’ DJ/producer is prepping his sophomore album, the follow-up to his 2016 debut, Joytime. Among his triumphs in the aforementioned span include “Wolves” with Selena Gomez, “Spotlight” with Lil Peep, “FRIENDS” with Anne-Marie, and “Everyday” with Logic.  What a busy man.  He returns solo on the brief, two-and-a-half-minute single, “Tell Me.”  

The first thing any listener will notice about “Tell Me” is how bright the sound is.  It’s all feel-good, major-key vibes delivered by the DJ.  Sure, there are minor chords within the progression, but this record is truly ‘at home’ in major, sigh.  Marshmello keeps things interesting with pummeling, hard-hitting drums, while balancing kinder, gentler, soft synths with more biting, edgier, hard ones.  Layering ideas upon ideas, “Tell Me” builds and builds dynamically over its brief duration. Let’s throw a little bit of music theory in.  When it seems as if the tonic (primary note of the scale) is going to be the final one, the DJ surprises us at the last second (the fourth).  It’s a bit odd, but definitely maintains the colorful nature of the record.

Final Thoughts 

Sometimes, people forget how captivating the instrumental record can be.  Marshmello reminds us of this on “Tell Me,” which truly ‘tells us’ – rather conveys – a lot of musical ideas successfully.  We love hearing the work the good DJ does with others, but sometimes going solo, he reveals the full arsenal of goods he has to offer.  The question for Marshmello now is, when does the new album arrive?

Marshmello • Tell Me – Single • Joytime Collective • Release: 6.8.18

Photo Credit: Joytime Collective