Dijon's Debut Album 'Absolutely' Is Bursting at the Seams With Life
Photo: Dijon
While Dijon may draw comparisons to a select number of artists - from the exploratory vocal modulation of Bon Iver, the pained delivery of Conor Oberst, or the acutely personal yet seemingly universal storytelling approach of Sufjan Stevens - the Los Angeles-based artist's vision remains a truly idiosyncratic one. Traces, hints of another may spill forward but they always lead back to Dijon and his emotionally vivid world. It is a notion made immediately apparent on his debut album and potential magnum opus, Absolutely.
Over the course of 12 striking tracks, Dijon bares his heart and soul, imbuing each moment with such an intensity that you would be forgiven for thinking this is the last and final chance he has to give his thoughts and feelings sonic form. The ephemeral beauty of attempting to capture a moment in time to only end up with a perfectly imperfect composite.
It's a sentiment equally apparent in the lead single "Many Times," a manic explosion of far-flung memories and confessions that evokes the transcendent nature of his live shows. Yet, even in Absolutely's quieter, more restrained moments, whether that be in the wistful, country-leaning sonic collage that is "Noah's Highlight Reel" or "End of Record," which sees Dijon's infectious croon lose and find itself amidst passing conversations and harmonies, that initial intoxicating fervor never dissipates.
Few albums, projects, or songs for that matter feel as teeming with life as Dijon's Absolutely. In many ways, it circumvents simple critical classification as a traditional album, blurring the lines between a piece of sonic art - patchworks of a life shared with friends and collaborators - and a dizzying amalgamation of R&B and experimental folk. Whatever you take away from Absolutely, there is no denying it and Dijon's palpable impact.
Listen to Absolutely below:
