Connecting On A Deeper Level: Exploring Djo's New album, "The Crux"

Written by Chelsea Tiso

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

Joe Keery, otherwise known as Djo, is back with his sophomore album, The Crux. Since its release, I've had the pleasure of listening to it, day in and day out. One thing that clearly stands out from this project is how bright it sounds whilst being potentially his most introspective album yet.

Its opening track, “Lonesome is a State of Mind,” begins quite bare with just a synthesized piano. It gives the effect of feeling quite lonely. In fact, the first couple of songs on this album appear tentative and frustrated. Exploring themes like needlessly wanting to be popular (“Basic Being Basic”) and longing to make something more of your life ("Link"), Djo pairs this with nostalgic and catchy instrumentals. 

Inspired by 70s giants like The Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra and tapping into a bit of the late 90s Kings of Leon angst, Djo pushes the box of what extent his experimental music can reach. It’s grungy, punchy, and though parts of it seem quite early 2000s, Djo always manages to bring it back to 2025, particularly in my favourite section on "Link.” On continuous listens, "Link" seems like a tough act to follow. 

"Potion," the 4th track on the album, throws me for a loop, in a very good way. It sounds quite folky, delicate, and romantic. The chorus (I’ll try for all of my life/Just to find someone/Who leaves on a light for me) sounds like light peeking through a kitchen door window. In fact, the entire song sounds like it would back a very domestic scene in a movie by A24. Plucky guitars, searing violins, and Djo’s falsettos across the track add to this even further. “Potion” is the turning point of the album, veering from the motif of frustration, headfirst into love and loss.  

A twangy guitar pulls you into the indie-rock mindset with "Delete Ya.” The second of the lead singles for this album, it is one of my personal favourites. For fans fond of the vocal colourings Joe performs on songs like "Gloom" off of his 2022 album, you"ll definitely find it on this track. One of Djo’s strengths is the variety with which he can manipulate his voice to invoke a crucial emotion from his fans. As one of his more 80s-inspired songs, with guitar riffs reminiscent of greats like The Police, the song feels incredibly nostalgic, the perfect effect to back lyrics talking of losing a love and dealing with whatever internal struggle follows.

The bright and cheery "Charlie’s Garden,” an homage to Keery’s “Stranger Things” co-star and former neighbour, delves into procrastinating work to enjoy simpler pleasures. Throughout the album, it seems as though Keery is feeling the pressure of his fame, consistently referring to it through various songs using a “gold” motif. Rather than stewing in self-doubt, he pulls it back, reminding both himself and the listener to focus on what makes life worth living: your relationships and your own self-worth.

This is tied together in "Back on You," where Djo opens the track with the Brooklyn Youth Choir singing a motivational ballad, followed by Djo’s declaration of his appreciation for his sisters. The song is on the funkier side of the album with a driving bass and guitar riff. It is bright and gritty, distinctively Djo, but it also sounds like a song you’ve heard your whole life. 

There are definitely quite a few easter eggs placed within the songs on this album. Each listen reveals a new aspect of the song and the sheer depth of the production of the album. The chanting is also always a hit, even more so when you find out that it’s his sister on the track, too. 

All in all, in comparison to previous albums released by Djo, this one is more personal but feels lighter, almost as though letting things out tension. Djo delicately toes the line between calling back to some of the greats and using these inspirations to reinforce his own musical prowess. While its listeners may go into this endeavour believing the central concept to be an album about “a hotel housing guests who are all, in one way or another, at crossroads in their life,” The Crux simply goes to the heart of what is on Djo's mind right now—nurturing yourself and your relationships.