Recommended Tracks: “A WASTED YEAR,” “ANGELS & DEMONS,” “BETTER OFF DEAD”
Artists You May Like: YUNGBLUD, MOD SUN, Goody Grace
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. I did not know what I just heard, but 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, “SO WHAT!” and jxdn’s other singles 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. With lyrics like, “I tried calling you a thousand times / You tried telling me a thousand lies” and “You feel complacent / You’re broken, I’m breaking,” 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.
You can listen to Tell Me About Tomorrow on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Catch jxdn on tour here with Machine Gun Kelly this fall.
Keep up with jxdn: Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // Website
