Djo – The Crux

We all know End Of Beginning by Djo, but his latest album is just as worth a listen. Djo, also known as Joe Keery, released his third studio album The Crux on April 4th. This album is a combination of modern pop with hints of electronic sounds that remind me of 80s pop music as well. With great lyrics about heartbreak and uncertainty, matched with unique musicality, The Crux by Djo is a must-listen album.

The album starts with the track “Lonesome is a State of Mind” which sets the theme for the album. The lyrics are very relatable especially for listeners in their 20s. “My future’s up in the air, I guess I’ll just play along” was a lyric that really caught my eye because of how relatable it is.

This song leads into “Basic Being Basic” which has been charting on the top 100 since it came out in late February for good reason. This song hits lyrics about heartbreak and the feeling of wanting to find love thats real. He also follows his sound of combining modern pop with a hint of 80s. This sound is hard to compare to any other artist which makes it special to me.

Throughout the album, he hits hard topics that a lot of us deal with on a daily basis. He talks about missing his past, second-guessing his choices, questioning who he is and his worth, being scared of the future and so much more. With lyrics like these, it’s hard to not like the album. In some songs, you can hear influence from the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. For example, my favorite track on the album is “Fly”. It’s a beautiful acoustic song between pop songs which was a refreshing break I didn’t expect. I noticed this song sounded very similar to “Rain Song” by Led Zeppelin with once again, an 80’s twist to it. I find it very cool to see inspirations come out in artists’ music without it sounding like they’re completely copying them and Djo found that perfect middle ground. Fly is my favorite song on the album because the lyrics are poetic and resonate with any listener who has gone through heartbreak. It’s an emotional song that pulls at the heartstrings and has an impactful message.

If you’re looking for an album that has many different unique sounds and amazing lyrics you need to check this album out. It’s modern with its own twist that I can only describe as a combination of Tame Impala, Wallows, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and any 80s pop song. This album is certainly worth the listen, especially if you find yourself liking “Basic Being Basic” and “End of Beginning”, this album is a perfect place to find more songs you are bound to love.

Rating: 8/10

Favorite Track: Fly