Arts and Entertainment
By Addison Burke, Sports Editor
And when I’m back to listening to a new Djo album, I feel it. Djo, better known as Joe Keery, released his third studio album “The Crux” on April 4, and it is just the album I was looking for.
I rarely find albums that have few or no skips at all, but “The Crux” is a no-skip album. Djo transports listeners back in time with the instrumentation throughout the album, utilizing a mellotron and synthesizer in multiple songs. Without listening to the vocals, there are moments throughout the album in which I feel like I am listening to a Beatles album because of the different sounds Djo incorporates into songs.
In an interview, Djo said that the theme of the album is a hotel housing guests who are all at the crossroads of their lives. After listening through the album multiple times, I can really feel this vision. Each song almost seems as though it could be a different person’s story, and this is something I have never seen before in an album.
The album fluctuates between slow-paced and upbeat songs, creating a nice balance among the 11 tracks.
The first half of the album features one of my favorite songs, “Basic Being Basic.” This song was released as a single back in January when Djo announced the album. The lyrics are not only relatable to listeners, but they also seem to be deeply important to Djo. The lyrics are about doing basic things in life and people being uncomfortable with that, and I find that to be such a fascinating premise for a song. Every day I see people who are too bored by the basics of life even though that’s what we should treasure.
Djo, also known as Joe Keery, released his third studio album “The Crux” earlier this month, which features 11 tracks.
Another top contender for one of my favorite songs from the album is “Charlie’s Garden.” So much of this song reminds me of a mixture of songs from the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album. The unique sound of “Charlie’s Garden” through the instrumentation and vocals makes me fall more in love with this album.
“Charlie’s Garden” also brings a very fun energy to the entire album. The two phone call snippets included in the song are one of my favorite features of the entire album. The messenger of these phone calls happens to be Charlie Heaton, Djo’s co-star from “Stranger Things,” creating another fun storyline within the album.
One other song that races for top contender is “Golden Line.” This song reminds me of yet another Beatles song, “The Long and Winding Road.” Both songs have a soothing piano playing throughout the song while also having a lyrical focus on rebuilding a relationship with someone else.
“Golden Line” likely sneaks to the top as my favorite on the album, but there are just too many good songs to pick from.
“The Crux” is one of my new favorite albums due to its unique sound and storytelling. Djo really took a step up with this album since his second album, “Decide,” which came out in 2022. I recommend this album to anyone looking for a refreshing and nostalgic sounding album, especially if you also are a fan of the Beatles.
