Joe Keery, under his stage name, DJO, released his third studio album titled “The Crux” on April 4. The album, which has 12 tracks, takes on a more lighthearted tone than his previous albums.
Unlike DJO’s previous album, “Decide” – which the artist used to grapple with the many downsides to fame, such as being constantly scrutinized – in “The Crux,” Keery seems to have come to terms with some of these issues and has adopted a more optimistic approach to life.
The album also relies more heavily on acoustics in comparison to previous albums, which were more synth-pop. Many of the songs on the album imitate the sounds of famous bands such as The Beatles and Queen.
“It had been so long since I used the acoustic guitar as my base,” Keery said to Rolling Stone magazine in an interview. “It’ll show itself in the music. It’s not a big acoustic album, but it starts with those building blocks.”
The album’s first track, “Lonesome Is A State of Mind,” perfectly encapsulates the overall vibe of the album. While still having synth-pop elements, this track highlights DJO’s use of acoustics as well.
The song follows DJO as he tries to grapple with the idea that he may be living an unfulfilling and repetitive existence. Despite this, DJO chooses to accept what he has as good enough for him, even the lonely parts of life.
This track was the perfect way to open the album, even if it wasn’t chosen as a single. Since playing it as soon as it was released at midnight on April 4, I have had “Lonesome Is A State of Mind” on repeat.
The album’s second track and first single, “Basic Being Basic,” was released on January 24 and was DJO’s first major release since “Decide” came out in 2022.
“It’s kind of a shot fired to anyone who’s trying to be of the moment,” DJO said in an interview with New Musical Express.
The song emphasizes DJO’s desire for meaningful connections. This theme is consistent throughout the album.
“Link” is consistent with many of the themes covered in “Decide.” In this track, DJO expresses a desire to break free from societal norms to live a more fulfilling existence. Compared to other tracks on the album, “Link” shares a closer resemblance to his older projects.
In the fourth track on the album and its third single, “Potion,” DJO takes on the modern form of The Beatles. The song follows DJO’s yearning for genuine love and security in a relationship, which makes it his first love song.
“I’ll try for all of my life just to find someone who leaves on the light for me,” DJO sings over Beatles-esque acoustic instrumentals.
While this track might be the furthest from his previous works, it is still so uniquely DJO in the way that he explains what is important to him in a relationship: trust, understanding and comfort.
“Delete Ya,” the album’s second single, is a stark contrast from the vibes in “Potion.” The track is much more somber, seeing as it is a breakup song. Here, DJO struggles to forget a relationship and wishes he could just delete the memories so he can get back to himself.
Other tracks that bear similarities to themes and sounds on DJO’s album “Decide” are the sixth track, “Egg,” and the 10th track, “Golden Line.”
“Egg” follows DJO as he explores how he is perceived and wants to escape his own identity. To me, this track felt very similar to DJO’s song “Half Life,” where he also expresses his struggles with fame and people not caring about who he really is as a person.
“But deep down inside, there’s always that fear / That I’m not enough, I seem cavalier,” DJO sings in the bridge.
“Golden Line,” which may be my favorite song on the album, feels like DJO’s acceptance at the end of the “Half Life” and “Egg” saga. With beautiful piano instrumentals playing in the background, DJO expresses that the expectations fans set might not be a bad thing to live up to and that you have to take the good with the bad when you are famous.
“Maybe you can show me how / My intention was to make you proud / Yes, it’s true, I do it all for you,” DJO sings to fans.
This song is a tribute to the loyal fans of his music that “really know me, love me, pull me through,” DJO sings.
Maybe the saddest song on the track is the seventh track, “Fly,” which is another breakup song. Similar to “Delete Ya,” this track follows DJO’s struggle to move on from a past relationship and get back to who he was. This track relies much more heavily on acoustics, making it more melancholy and pensive than “Delete Ya.”
In the album’s eighth and 11th tracks, “Charlie’s Garden” and “Back On You,” DJO reflects on people who have had a positive impact on his life. “Charlie’s Garden,” which also shares many similarities to Beatles’ songs, thanks Keery’s co-star Charlie Heaton for the peace he brought into Keery’s life during the busy days of filming “Stranger Things,” where Keery plays Steve Harrington.
“Back on You” is a general homage to those who have supported Keery, specifically his close friends and his sisters. The song opens with the singing of an angelic chorus before transitioning into DJO’s traditional synth-pop/rock sound.
The album’s ninth track, “Gap Tooth Smile,” is another love song that embraces loving your partner’s imperfections. The track shares a similar rock sound to “Back on You” and shares similarities to Queen’s sound, who are referenced in the song.
“That’s my little missus she’s my number one / My heart in your dreams / Frеddie said it right, ’cause she’s my killеr queen,” DJO sings.
In the album’s final track, “Crux,” DJO emphasizes the importance of vulnerability receiving love and emotional fulfillment, something I think he tried to do with his fans through many of the tracks on this album. The song has slow piano instrumentals, which once again create a reflective mood.
In his third album, DJO was able to still explore many of the themes he explored in previous albums, with a completely different sound and even viewpoint. “The Crux” shows DJO’s personal journey through accepting love in his life and accepting his fame. This album has a much more open-minded and optimistic view of concepts such as self-perception and being true to oneself compared to “Decide,” where Keery truly left his stress between the lines.
Overall, I think DJO has released another incredible album worthy of praise and many awards, and I am excited to see what comes next.
