7/10

With a knack for slipping between artistic identities, Joe Keery returns under his musical alias Djo to usher in a fresh era with 'The Crux'. If his previous LP 'DECIDE' was an immersive dive into warped synth-pop introspection, 'The Crux' feels like Djo stepping into the daylight, eyes wide open and ready to grin through the absurdity of it all.

Sonically, 'The Crux' is a shift from Djo’s previous synth-heavy terrain into warmer, guitar-laced arrangements, touching on classic pop textures with a contemporary edge. It’s as if Pet Sounds, Ziggy Stardust, and Currents got trapped in an elevator with only enough oxygen to make one album. Keery’s collaboration with longtime friend and producer Adam Thein roots 'The Crux' in a place of personal intimacy. From living rooms to the legendary Electric Lady Studios, the album seems to chronicle the growth of an artist who no longer compartmentalises his creativity.

Djo isn’t just riffing on nostalgia or parodying modern malaise. He’s threading the needle between sincerity and satire, all while crafting pop music that’s anything but ordinary. 'The Crux' is a record that not only calls out the zeitgeist but dances with it, invites it in for a drink, and sends it home with its eyeliner smudged.