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May 06, 2025 Web Exclusive By Alfie Verity

The cover art for The Crux, Djo’s third album, depicts a mismatched cast of puzzled guests spilling out of a hotel, staring aimlessly into the lazuli blue sky. The image is symbolic of the album’s main themes: disorientation, disconnection from one’s own identity.

The Crux was birthed by Djo (actor/musician Joe Keery, of Stranger Things fame) during a period of disconnection from friends, family, himself, while prioritising his acting career. Though music which deals with the perils of success and celebrity can tread a fine line between enlightening and exhausting, Djo pulls it off because The Crux feels authentic. Its songs are filled with off-beat but personal lyrics and detailed stories of modern angst, rather than anonymous complaints about the perils of fame.

Moreso, the songs here are buoyed by Djo’s detailed and focused musical references. The album pulls equally from ’60s psychedelia (“Golden Line”), ’80s synth (“Basic Being Basic”), and ’00s indie rock (“Lonesome is a State of Mind”). The effect of this is a collage of nostalgia, which uplifts nicely the album’s themes of fragmentation.

The best example of this pop collaging is single “Delete Ya,” a glittery reflection on a soured relationship, where Keery’s warm vocals intertwine superbly with the track’s retro rhythm. The song borrows from the ’80s soft rock of Tears for Fears and Paul McCartney, but its quirky lyricism and charismatic vocal performance means Djo’s personality shines through, rather than being crowded out by nostalgia.

There are occasions on the record where Djo’s sentimentality becomes burdensome.”Charlie’s Garden” lands on the side of pastiche: it’s too indebted to The Beatles to feel sincere. Similarly, “Back on You” tries to replicate T. Rex’s “Hot Love” too much for its own good. Yet, it bodes well for Djo that these are blips in an otherwise likeable album. For the most part, the album is a well pruned garden of musical history centered around Djo’s charming storytelling and personality. (www.djomusic.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10