Djo continues to push boundaries with his third album ‘The Crux’
He is the definition of effortlessly cool in his artistic reinvention.
★★★★★
Photo: CJ Harvey
Joe Keery, actor and singer/songwriter — known professionally in music as Djo — has released his latest album The Crux. A release that follows on from his previous successful albums, Twenty Twenty in 2019 and DECIDE in 2022, collaborating again with Adam Thein to help produce the new release.
The Crux is Joe’s most personal album yet, recorded at Electric Lady Studios (founded by Jimi Hendrix in NYC); it is a more sonically expansive and guitar-driven record, as it was influenced by its environment. Within this studio, there are more organic recording techniques used, thereby influencing a 70s rock and soft rock sound. The album is a subtle change from Djo’s past sound, but this change is one that is welcomed with open arms, for he has headed in a more mature direction with a sonic blend of his past two albums.
Twenty Twenty, Djo’s debut album, was heavy in psychedelic rock and pop as it was influenced by the 1960s rock scene. Whereas, DECIDE was a synth-pop, synth-wave alternative album with Djo reflecting on current thoughts and anxieties about change and identity. The latter also featured a song that caused a viral response on TikTok in 2024 — End of Beginning — initiating even more anticipation for future singles and another album.
The latest album functions similar to a journal, as it helps the individual find what is most important to them and hold on to the simple things in life like friends and family. Djo describes how he was often away from home filming, causing these songs to have been written across multiple locations. Comparable to the concept of the album, as the lyrical themes centre on the idea of a community – on a “hotel housing guests who are all, in one way or another, at crossroads in their life”. The Crux promises to deep dive into themes of identity and character all framed within this concept, and celebrate the importance of a supportive community after the ending of a relationship. Wrapped up in rich guitar arrangements reminiscent of 60s/70’s rock, this album demonstrates how great Djo’s ambitious scope is but also his exceptional skill and incredible talent.
Photo: Neil Krug
The Crux opens with Lonesome Is A State of Mind, an eerie sounding synth begins its whistle as Djo’s vocals arrive with a vintage muffled sound effect. The song has a wonderful, subtle progression through to the chorus, where the drum builds and the rest of the instruments enter. This is a great start to the album as it sets up the endless possibilities of what can be expected. The synth solo towards the end is a nod to past albums, but we begin to hear this new direction Djo is leading us on. One filled with a rock expanse, merged with sounds reminiscent of the golden oldies.
Basic Being Basic, the album’s first lead single, opens the gateway to this unpredictable music journey. Full of upbeat synth and a groovy dance beat, this is a single about the pitfalls of consumerism and internet culture hidden in Djo’s spoken word. Djo is calling out those who prioritise getting social media content instead of prioritising friends and a sense of community. A single still with his distinct style but with a new added twist.
Progressing to the heavy rock sounds of Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy, Link has classic rock elements running through it, with headbanging guitars and drums kicking in during the pre-chorus. This is one with an infectious and catchy sound, especially the second verse, as it is like Bruce Springsteen’s style in the arrangement’s build-up and poetic, socially conscious lyrics.
Next is a song written, recorded and finished by Djo in three days: Potion. You can hear heavy influences of Fleetwood Mac and Paul McCartney at the start of this track, with a catchy guitar melody and built-up vocals. This is a song focused on yearning; searching for a type of love that is genuine, desiring someone to provide security: “Someone who leaves on the light for me”.
The second single of the album, Delete Ya, is bursting with upbeat 80s synth, describing his breakup and desire to press a fictional button that could erase a past relationship. It has minimal lyrics but an effective delivery, reminiscent of The Police, yet still modern, having that signature Djo sound with its moody monotone vocals enveloped in a catchy sound.
Egg is a production masterpiece; it could be a sister of DECIDE, but the production is tenfold, the constant change-up in melodic rhythm is like Djo’s very own Bohemian Rhapsody. It changes from the moody, slow drum beat to a fast guitar melody with synth hidden beneath it. Then crashing violins appear, helping to change the pace again, and drums building alongside Djo’s repetitive “You’re just gonna let fear take that”. I quickly became a fan, but the 2-minute 30-second mark is where the magic happens.
In the second half of the album, you can really hear the influence of 70s rock and folk: the likes of America, Doobie Brothers, Bread, Electric Light Orchestra and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young seeping through. If you are a fan of that decade of music, you will enjoy this album. As the soft guitar starts with a gentle chill feel, Fly is a song about moving on and away to a new place: “Packing up my things again, when will the movement end / This chapter is through”. Yet again surprising listeners, Djo uses a telephone vocal effect, recreating the sound of a distant, muted phone call, similar to ELO’s song Telephone Line. There’s a mix of instrumentation combined with gorgeous tight harmonies and a build-up of electric and acoustic guitars before it slowly fades away.
Charlie’s Garden is almost like a love letter to The Beatles – rather than it being Octopus Garden, this one has a new occupier. It has a modern and updated twist from the likes of Day in The Life or Nowhere Man. The drum beat is the star of the song, the snare releases an added sense of excitement in addition to the trumpet, making it sound like the perfect theme song if The Crux residents ever decide to go into reality TV.
Opting for a classic rock sound, something akin to Tom Petty, is Gap Tooth Smile, with the strong, electric guitar, synth and rhythmic drum beat. This is a tribute to 80s synth new wave kind of love songs, with lyrics “Ready steady rock, she’s my killer queen”. The interlude with the repeating “ba-da-ba’s” paired with the counting of 29 – a part clearly made for the crowd participation at his shows – brings a thrilling liveliness to an already killer song.
Then follows Golden Line — and, I hate to be biased, but this has quickly become my favourite due to the simple but beautiful piano complementing Joe’s layered harmonies in the vocals. If you are a fan of 70s soft roc then this will be a developing eargasm with the rich vocals, the piano blending beautifully with brass and string instruments, the introduction of the Brooklyn Youth Choir and warm, slow synth mixed with the orchestral arrangement. A beautiful song, one that I would have preferred to have been five minutes long.
Carrying on in a similar style, Back On You begins with an eerily beautiful chorus from the Brooklyn Youth Choir before the arrival of the kick drum, picking up the tempo amidst the children’s vocals.
Each song from this album is distinctive from the other, but still sonically retains a tiny bit of resemblance, making it flow into a cohesive sound. The Tom Petty feel is back in this one, and you get a real sense of Djo’s personality with ad-libs throughout. The electric guitar solo is enticing, and the building backing vocals of the choir make you wish the song would never end. This is an emotional song — not only does it feature Djo’s siblings, it highlights the massive influence his sisters have had on him, thereby encapsulating his devotion to them.
The big finish, Crux, rightfully begins with a piano ballad and a classic muffled voice, before setting up the chorus: “Get back to your heart, but only if you give it back again”. A slow, melodic pace, causing light head banging, with an important reminder: “Let it be what it is / Let it out from inside you / Get it back to your heart.” Together with the title of the album, a crux can refer to either the most important or decisive part of something, or a difficult and puzzling problem. There are themes of connection within this song as Djo reminds us of how easy self-sabotage can be if an individual lets it win over their heart.
This is an album where Djo faces the music head-on, discarding the famous wig, sunglasses, and overall theatrics of his past two albums. Joe has laid his heart bare and expanded his catalogue with an album of songs that pay homage to records he loves and revived them in an eclectically modern way. This deserves the full five stars.
The Crux is out now via AWAL.
