Review
Joe Keery, stepping out from the shadow of his "Stranger Things" persona, graces us with "Decide," his second album under the moniker Djo. Released in September 2022, the album is a synth-pop extravaganza that splays Keery’s musical abilities but leaves us all scratching our heads a bit, wanting a deeper dive into the mind behind the music. "Decide" spins a narrative on change and identity, peppered with the anxieties tied to fame and our digital overlords. Think of it as a futuristic diary entry, but with more Auto-Tune and vocoders than your last trip to karaoke.
On the musical rollercoaster that is "Decide," tracks like the head-bobbing "Change," darkly vibrant "Gloom," and the profoundly relatable "Half Life" attack the zeitgeist of social media addiction with a synth-heavy arsenal. Yet, amidst the lush production, some of the lyrics stumble and trip over themselves like someone unsure whether to dance or dodge in a mosh pit. Metaphors aside, while the album’s lyrics occasionally face-plant, the tunes themselves throw you back into the groove. Rated a not-too-shabby 77 by Metacritic, "Decide" dishes out enough synth-pop zest to keep both your ears and your existential dread fully entertained. - Chloe
