Indie Light

Joseph David Keery, who is known professionally as Djo is an American actor and musician, he is a former member of the Chicago based psychedelic rock outfit Post Animal, but it is for his role as Steve Harrington in the Netflix series Stranger Things that he is perhaps best known. However he’s been making big strides as a solo artist and it is for that reason I’m here today, because I’ll be reviewing his debut album ‘Twenty Twenty’ which was released September 13th 2019.

‘Showtime’ has a slow but rising build, that blends out into a slightly distorted melody, and ambient noises, it’s a quirky and deliberately anticlimactic opening little interlude that while brief gives you a nice flavour of both the artist and album you’re just about to listen to. It’s really clever and immediately endeared me to the artist. 

‘Personal Lies’ kicks off with an immediate harmony between vocals and guitars, both punchy and energetic, creating a funky melody, the percussion kicking in, and adding in extra texture to the number. I came into this album completely blind, so I had no idea what to expect and yet even from this first full number I am a Djo covert because this is a superb and engaging track, not only is he a strong vocalist, with a good voice, but the overall balance of this track really hooks you in as a listener, I found myself just sitting back and experiencing the song, and then around the two minute mark when it changed and shook things up I was completely engrossed, the deeper, longer guitar beats and the also futuristic, psychedelic melody really worked for me. 

‘Tentpole Shangrila’ fades in, with building tones, a growing melody that goes from faint to full fleshed out suddenly and yet completely organically. And again, I have to compliment Djo’s vocals, he’s got a very good vocal quality that fits these songs perfectly. I love that the song isn’t completely straight, it doesn’t do exactly what you expect, it has these wonderful embellishments, the subtle distortions, the building melodies and other things which provide texture and energy to the track. I am so far really impressed and genuinely excited for what’s next. 

‘Just Along for the Ride’ opens with an even guitar and percussion melody, and a slightly different side to Djo’s voice, deeper, huskier, and more resonant, and it really works for the track. I knew coming in that I was probably going to like this, from everything I’ve seen the artist is genuine, cool and seems like a nice dude, but I was not expecting to like his music as much as this, he has a very distinct voice and style and yet allows himself the room to breath and explore and create new and interesting music that isn’t confined to anything too rigid. 

‘Chateau (Feel Alright)’ opens with a warbly and building distortion, a favourite musical technique of mine, which flows seamlessly into some dreamy vocals that just connect with you and keep you bobbing alongside. It’s really close, like crazy close but I think this track snags my personal favourite of the entire album. It’s kinda difficult to articulate why, but that’s also literally my job, and I can’t just keep saying things are ineffable, so if I had to pin it down it’s a combination of some strong, husky and melodic vocals and pure and soft instrumentals that come together in beatific perfection to create an incredibly strong overall track. 

‘Roddy’ is another really strong entry, some truly superb guitar work in this number. It also has a lot of what I enjoyed about the previous tracks, the almost atmospheric and dreamy melody, but this one has a touch more energy which changes the vibe but is no less enjoyable. In fact the internal balance and consistency of the album is to be applauded. Seriously though, I had no way of knowing when I was watching Stranger Things that Djo is such a talented vocalist, his voice is rich and evenly toned, suited for the highs and lows, and he doesn’t trap himself within just one style or genre, which allows him to adapt and perform as he sees fit. 

‘Ring’ changes things up again, a more robotic and automated feel to the initial vocal delivery, a really cool thing as well. The standout in this track though has to be the melody, it’s rich and bouncy and makes use of the frenzied distortion effect that I’ve touched on a few times previously. It’s just a really cool track that has solo harmonies and overall is just an incredibly strong track with some top notch instrumentals, it easily takes the number 2 slot for my personal favourites on the whole album. 

‘BNBG’ has a funky, synthy tonal opening that builds into a sonorous and breaching melody that is just breathtaking, it’s tracks like this that make me so grateful to be running this site and reviewing music in general because I get the opportunity to listen to music like this. I really like the raspy, vocal quality Djo effects for this performance, it really works with the track and also shows us another side to his vocal talents. 

‘Mortal Projections’ opens with some sustained chords that a melody slowly builds around, the opening chords have an almost funeralesque vibe, like a dirge played on an organ piano, it’s a really clever melody, and the song itself is so powerful. It’s got a quirky little beat to it, that really sticks in your head, I’ve already decided on my top 2 favourites, this snakes the third slot, and while I prefer the other two marginally better, this track has stuck in my head the most, just something about it lingers after it’s done and that’s perhaps the highest compliment for music. I feel changed after having heard it, and while the other two on my personal favourite list are closer to my own musical preferences, if I were to pick a track to truly sell this album I think I’d pick this one. 

‘Total Control’ is a more even melody, especially after the quirky and more offbeat track that was the previous entry, it had synth fuelled vocals and funky beats that add a lot to the overall composition. I think after the weight of the last track this one has a lighter edge to it, it’s very instrumental heavy and has a brightness to it that’s really rewarding. 

‘Flash Mountain’ kicks things off fast, up tempo, high energy percussion and deeper toned, weighty vocals that join with frenzied and wild guitars, really raising the energy and expectations as we come to the final track. This track, especially once it fully gets into swing has a video game vibe to it, like this would be awesome final boss music, with the intense blaring strings, and the well utilised percussion. In fact in a release full of superb music, this has perhaps the best instrumentals of the entire album. 

‘Mutual Future (Repeat)’ finishes things off a little slower, a delicate guitar opens up the number, and then Djo’s vocals kick in, slightly augmented, but equally gentle and melodic. A very rich and yet subdued number, very stripped back after some of the other entries and yet very rewarding nonetheless. So over the preceding 11 tracks the artist has consistently impressed me, and he does not let me down with this final track, closing out this album nicely. If you’re one of the people who’ve slept on checking out Djo (like I did until earlier this month) then I strongly suggest you don’t waste any more time because he’s well worth a listen. 

So that’s what I thought of Djo’s debut album ‘Twenty Twenty’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. While you’re at it, make sure and support the artist by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.