Djo - The Crux

Djo's The Crux checks you into a strange, sunlit hotel full of people at a crossroads, with Joe Keery as the charming host of his third album.

Released in 2025, it followed Decide and the sleeper success of End of Beginning, which had pulled a huge new audience toward his music. Keery co-produced the album with Adam Thein at Electric Lady Studios in New York, with Manny Marroquin handling the mix, and the sound is lush, warm and generously layered.

Lonesome Is a State of Mind opens the record on a wistful note, before Basic Being Basic, the lead single, lands with a wry grin. Delete Ya and Potion carry the album's breezy, retro-pop bounce, all glossy keys and easy hooks, while the quieter moments reveal a softer, more reflective side that shows how much range he has picked up since Decide.

The hotel framing gives the record a loose storyline, and it rewards a front-to-back listen rather than a shuffle. Keery's love of 1970s soft rock and psychedelic pop is all over it, but the songs feel personal and current.

For fans who arrived through End of Beginning, The Crux shows how much further his songwriting can stretch, and how much fun he is having along the way.