Djo - The Crux (Album Review)

Photo: Neil Krug

Joe Keery made a name for himself as Steve Harrington in Netflix’s smash hit Stranger Things, but running in parallel to his acting career he has carved out a niche as a highly eclectic musician. His third LP under the name Djo is called ‘The Crux’ and it draws on everything from LCD Soundsystem to Television, The Beatles and MGMT. With such a wealth of influences considered  the key question is whether it can make a cohesive whole, and the answer is an emphatic yes. 

Starting out softly-spoken but soaring by the time it reaches the chorus, Lonesome Is A State of Mind is a great showcase for his vocal range, while Basic Being Basic is an earworm, clearly taking influence from James Murphy’s output and indie sleaze but bringing it into the 2020s. It’s got an infectious energy to it and highly entertaining lyrics. 

Link, meanwhile, has something of Thin Lizzy about its guitar tones, but its electronic tinges channel something more contemporary — it is an interesting intersection of sounds and there is much to admire about the way Keery balances them.

Charlie’s Garden is a bit ‘Sgt Pepper’ or ‘Abbey Road’ Beatles and a bit Harry Nilsson, while Potion is more stripped back, almost indie-folk via Tame Impala or Unknown Mortal Orchestra. 

Delete Ya feels more personal, recalling a visit home after some time away and how the area has changed and the memories it brings, and there is a thread here that’s picked up by Keery’s observation that the LP rotates through a string of guests at the titular hotel, each of them searching for something.

‘The Crux’ is a coming of age for Keery, putting his stamp on a range of tried and tested genres and breathing new life into them. Rather than feeling like pastiche his songs are fresh and vital. It’s an album that has more to it than its surface may indicate, and many of its tracks feel tailor-made for the summer.

Djo Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:

Sun June 01 2025 - DUBLIN 3Olympia Theatre
Mon June 02 2025 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Tue June 03 2025 - MANCHESTER Academy
Thu June 05 2025 - LONDON O2 Forum
Fri June 06 2025 - LONDON O2 Forum
Sat June 07 2025 - LONDON O2 Forum

Compare & Buy Djo Tickets at Stereoboard.com.

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Inhaler - Open Wide

Brooke Combe - Dancing at The Edge of The World

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Dua Lipa - Live From The Royal Albert Hall

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