The 33-year-old American singer and actor has achieved what many can only ever dream of- reaching professional success in not one, but two artistic endeavors.
The song you probably know (you know, the one that went TikTok viral) is just the tip of the iceberg on what appears to be a stupendous musical career. We've seen the real-life effects that Stranger Things has had on the music industry, but this is something entirely new and unexpected.
With the massive success of his acting career, it seems surprising that he'd even have time to do anything else at all. But not only is he part of a band called Post Animal, but he also released yet another solo album in 2025. And if you haven't listened to it yet, you're missing out.
This underrated indie rock album from 2025 is astonishingly good
If you were ever curious enough to listen to the rest of DECIDE, the album that brought us Djo's enduring hit "End of Beginning," you probably noticed two things.
First, the rest of the album is nothing like that one song. Secondly, it leans heavily on electronic sounds and synthesizers. In my personal opinion, it's the sort of sonority you can either love madly like me, or think it sounds like weird alien music, with no in-between.
Well, it turns out The Crux, his 2025 album, is nothing like that either. You have to respect an artist who's willing to try new things.
The Crux exudes nostalgia and melancholy without verging on cheesiness. It's an honest and totally relatable representation of disenchantment with life, a theme that is present throughout every song. "Lonesome Is A State Of Mind" was my personal favorite.
The first thing you'll notice when listening to The Crux is that Djo's voice is given a lot more room to shine compared to his other releases, because it's much more acoustic. And it really works.
Don't get me wrong, I'm first in line for the alien-music fanclub, but it's hard to deny that Keery's voice is nice, and that was much harder to appreciate in his older, synthesizer-loaded music. It's not like The Crux gives digital instruments up completely, but it's much more balanced with acoustic sounds, too.
The second thing you'll notice is that his usual retro style is still there, but it borrows more from modern indie music (rather than 20th-century indie music, like his previous releases) in a way that's reminiscent of Cigarettes After Sex or The 1975. And it feels fresh while staying true to his sound.
The third thing you'll notice is just how central guitars are in this album- from distorted electric guitars to ones that sound like your crush casually playing in their bedroom. It makes sense, considering that that's his instrument, and oh boy, is he putting those skills to use in The Crux.
I also enjoyed the more theatrical feel of songs like "Charlie's Garden" and "Golden Line." They really show off just how expressive Keery's voice can be, almost in a musical theatre way.
Overall, it's a solid album with enough contrasts to remain interesting and enough coherence for his signature to shine through.
It's also impressive that Joe Keery himself was involved in the production of the album (along with Adam Thein). It's not every day that the same person can write songs, record them, and produce them. And his stage presence is hypnotic, too. Take his 2025 Laneway appearance as proof. Oh, and he's a famous actor as well. Almost forgot about that for a second.
It's difficult for an artist to know just how far they have to deviate from their signature style for their music to be novel without compromising their identity or letting their fan base down. I think this album nailed that balance, so you shouldn't sleep on it.