ALBUM REVIEWS

JXDN Tell Me About Tomorrow

by Christine Sloman

ARTISTS YOU MAY LIKE YUNGBLUD, Machine Gun Kelly RECOMMENDED TRACKS “A WASTED YEAR”, “ANGELS & DEMONS”

I was cruising around in my car last summer, as some of us were wont to do just to get out of the house, when a song came on the radio that instantly snapped me out of the funk I was in that day. It was angsty, it was catchy as heck, and it left me begging for more. The song turned out to be “SO WHAT!” by up-and-coming pop punk protégé jxdn. Promoting the sound that Machine Gun Kelly put forth on the notable Tickets To My Downfall, jxdn’s tracks kept the pop punk revolution train moving full steam ahead. As he gives us his debut album, Tell Me About Tomorrow, jxdn lets us figure out if this train is worth getting on or if it is best to just pass up.

The beginning of Tell Me About Tomorrow dabbles in standard pop punk, with shouty choruses, drawn out melodies, high energy drum fills, and lyrics that would make any emo soul feel heard. At first, you think that this is just going in one direction, as songs like “PILLS” and “THINK ABOUT ME” are more or less cut from the same cloth. However, the tracks start to deviate from this sound the further we move through the album, as we hear tracks such as “ANGELS & DEMONS” and “BETTER OFF DEAD” taking on elements of hip-hop and alt-rock. By giving us this mix, jxdn bridges the gap between early 2000s punk music and the punk music that is heard today.

As far as vocals are concerned, jxdn has the chops for the pop punk genre, but also possesses an extraordinary talent of sounding like more than one person. His voice goes from bright and youthful in higher registers to raspy and more mature in the lower ones, giving the impression that he is being featured on his own songs. On “BRAINDEAD,” for instance, jxdn’s seasoned vocals drive the verses before opening up in the choruses, creating moments of great contrast. This ability definitely adds more texture to the songs, but it makes his collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly on “WANNA BE” and iann dior on “TONIGHT” almost unnecessary.

In the grand scheme of things, Tell Me About Tomorrow is not your typical “emo” record, where the songs are about hating everyone and everything. jxdn has the ability to tackle heavy topics such as mental health and addiction in a very real way, making his personal experiences universal. For example, jxdn sings, “I just smile right now / I’ve been lying out loud / I’ve been feeling real down” on the tortured “FUCKED UP,” owning up to how hard it is to express these emotions. There is also the semi-acoustic closing track, “TELL ME ABOUT TOMORROW,” which centers on one of jxdn’s friends and you can relate to that feeling of staying strong for someone, when you really just want to break down.

Overall, Tell Me About Tomorrow is definitely just the beginning for jxdn. It is a solid effort consisting of 18 tracks, but you sense that jxdn is capable of doing more. There are times when the album loses steam, and other times when it feels too safe. But, the more work jxdn does on Travis Barker’s label, the better he will get; jxdn will be sure to come into his own, and go very far – even if he decides to gets off the pop punk train at the next stop or take it as far as it can go.

CAVETOWN Man’s Best Friend EP

ARTISTS YOU MAY LIKE Mxmtoon, Dodie, Conan Gray, half•alive RECOMMENDED TRACKS “Sharpener” “Idea of Her”, “Guilty”

by Erin Crowley

U.K’s powerhouse singer/songwriter Cavetown is here with his new emotionally driven EP Man’s Best Friend. You’re going to feel as if you’re floating on cloud nine while listening to this, as Robbie creates a dreamlike atmosphere in this new EP.

Man’s Best Friend incorporates Robbie’s signature songwriting skills and ability to make each song different but still have the same emotional quality that he is known for.; he is raw and authentically himself, talking about things most would shy away from.

The EP features 7 songs, each different in their own way. “Idea of Her”, sees Robbie talking about a person he longs for, so much that it’s hard to even say the person’s name. “Guilty” is somber, with Robbie talking about feeling guilty about situations no matter what he does. Each track on the EP is equally raw and beautiful and Robbie really hit it out of the park with this release.

HOBO JOHNSON The Revenge of Hobo Johnson

ARTISTS YOU MAY LIKE Oliver Tree, Rex Orange County RECOMMENDED TRACKS “I want to see the World”, “Jordans house”

by Nicholas Barlow

Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers return with their iconic spoken word, dynamic music, and an ability to communicate the many problems of modern life. After a 2-year hiatus, without the control of a label, The Revenge of Hobo Johnson completes a collection of albums.

Johnson, otherwise known as Frank Lopes Jr., takes inspiration from an eclectic mix of artists. After listening to The Rise, The Fall, and The Revenge of Hobo Johnson, it is clear that this album is a product of a (albeit short) life which has been lived throughly. The defiance to stick to one clear sub-genre rings true to this idea. I would hazard a guess that even John Cooper Clarke would have some fun with the nature of the lyrics.

Despite the majority of reviews having been unsavory about the album, I feel that the album has a maintained authenticity, tenacity, and witty charm to it. This may not be Hobo Johnson’s strongest album, however, if there’s anything I’ve learned from music trends in the past – albums like these either show that an artist is going a new musical direction, or it will become iconic (Revolution 9 by The Beatles).

The album discusses a heady mix of personal and political; from the clear messages in “I want to see the World“, which is about the amount of anguish America has bought to the world, election tampering, and the wars, to the introspective themes of depression, relationships, and a wider theme of the hamster wheel of social media in “I want you Back“. The sprinkling of slight bizarreness in “Outro”, with echoes of The 1975, I Don’t Know How But They Found Me, and Bo Burnham. Alongside, in my own interpretation, a contemplation of God and the meaning of life in “Jordans house”, all in an extended metaphor of waiting for a friend to come to the door.

Saying all that, by far my favourite track on the album has to be “Prequel to Animal Farm“. A reimagination, in verse, of the Orwellian life. Almost anthemic music backs the rather sordid lyrics, a beautiful juxtaposition of meaning and musicality which makes it one of my favourite tracks. If not, of the entirity of Johnson’s discography.

Speaking about the album, he cites Karl Marx and progressive thought as an inspiration on this project. “My last record The Fall of Hobo Johnson was my first time working with a major label to release music. It was not for me. I decided my next record needed to be entirely under my own control… After converting our band into a democratic and egalitarian institution, we created The Revenge.”

I don’t know what’s in store for Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers, but I’m excited to find out where they go next.

In three words, I would describe this album as: punchy, angsty, and accurate.