jacobojm

jacobojm reviewed DECIDE by Djo 7mo

7.2

love & hate decide — I was there as a Djo-nas brother from day one! I remember when his first single Roddy dropped in 2019, and I remember putting the puzzle pieces together that Djo was in fact the actor for my favorite character from Stranger Things. Did that subconsciously impact how much I liked his music, maybe? But I think Joe Keery stands on his own as a musical artist. Afterall, this isn’t even his first project (shoutout Post Animal). After the success of his debut, Twenty Twenty, I eagerly awaited the sophomore album and when that moment finally arrived, it lived up to the hype. I was on a trip with friends in Denver, sitting in a makeshift AirBnB in our host's basement. I packed my good headphones just to be able to stream the album on release. So there I was, on the bed in a dark, musty smelling basement ready to rock n roll. While his debut album was sonically all over the place, DECIDE brought cohesion in sound and in theme. The album is fueled by layered synths and some bumping bass. Each song slides into the next rather seamlessly, building momentum with each track, making the most of the 35 minute runtime. Djo is not subtle in his messaging, getting introspective and reflecting on ideas of change on an individual level and societal change and its relationship to technology. Runner grapples with the idea that people never change, but one has to try - a thought that comes to a head in the song Change as the metamorphosis takes place. I can’t talk about the album without talking about End of Beginning, the song that skyrocketed Djo in popularity. The song stands out amongst the rest of the album sonically, and I think that’s part of what led it to stick with audiences. It’s the album taking a breath and encouraging the listener to do the same. Taking those themes of change and holding your hand as you recognize what's taking place. Returning to a familiar place that you’ve loved and realizing that it’s not “Chicago” that’s changed…it’s you. And that’s okay. The other major message on media consumption and the hold that the algorithm has on us has only aged better with time. As Go For It states “communication breaks, then trust starts to fade.” What was relevant in 2022 is even more relevant in 2026, as the rise of AI and questioning what’s real takes hold. Movements to disconnect from the algorithm and touch grass become more popular. I myself decided to go for it and deleted social media apps from my phone so that I can choose when to engage with it rather than habitually and mindlessly opening an app to doomscroll. Djo welcomes us to decide how to proceed - concede with the times or dare to make a change. Overall, Djo takes some swings and hits homeruns (Change, End of Beginning, Slither) and other times he strikes out (I Want Your Video, On and On). It was still one of my favorite releases of 2022 and something I return to often. A “great hang” as Pitchfork put it. Favorite Tracks: End of Beginning Change Gloom Slither

jacobojm reviewed You'll Be Fine by Hot Mulligan 7mo

7.7

Midwest Emo will be fine — By 2016, Modern Baseball (MOBO) had broken up, Blink-182 was washed, and bands like Mom Jeans and Hot Mulligan were just getting started. It felt like the mid-west emo (MOBO, Frontbottoms) and pop punk (Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, etc) that fueled the late 2000s and early 2010’s went underground or gave way (sold out) to more pop-friendly sounds. Little did I know that Hot Mulligan was perfecting its craft to bring mid-west emo into a new decade. I’ll admit, I was unfamiliar with their game and missed their debut album Pilot in 2018, so when my ears first heard you’ll be fine I was ready to claim that the genre was back on top. Hot Mully brings in the best of the genre, with funny nonsensical track titles that don’t take themselves too seriously (ala Blink-182), brain scratching guitar rifts, self-loathing lyrics (hello MOBO), and huge chorus breaks that took me back to my Mayday Parade phase. All I could, and in some ways still, think is that this album would have killed in the Warp Tour era and that I wish I had some of these lyrics to post on Facebook and Tumblr throughout high school. And while my angsty days never truly went away, it felt good to have some fresh representation in music. It isn’t all fun and angst, as some of the lyrics find new meaning as I enter my 30s. Grappling with loss of friends and guilt over relationships that just fizzled out. I chose to listen to the album on vinyl as the way to do my review. Side A ends with Dirty Office Bongos and the lyrics “my thoughts feel like static, you’re gone and I wasn’t there” hanging for you to sit with as you get up to flip the record. Side B starts with a similar reflection as Analog Fade grapples with the feeling of being static while your friends and life move on without you. Ouch. But perfect for the time in which it first graced my ears - finishing up grad school at the same place I did my undergrad while the rest of my friends moved on. The album takes some risk, and switches things up sonically in some places, SPS being one of those with a bit more pop-punk leaning instrumentation. And then the album ends as abruptly as it began with The Song Formerly Known as Intro. Which works as a re-introduction to the genre for me as this album comes to a close. So yes, a solid 7.7 in my eyes. Always worth checking out, keeping my attention throughout its runtime, and a testament to a genre that felt like its best days were behind it. Favorite Tracks: SPS Dirty Office Bongos Green Squirrel in Pretty Bad Shape “Equip Sunglasses”