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Mood: Unapologetically Angry
- Jhanya&Ria's Corner
- Oct 2, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 26, 2021
"It's not my year I'll disappear To anywhere but here"
CRUSHER
Jeremy Zucker
Available on all leading music platforms
1 October 2021
12 Songs
CRUSHER is Jeremy Zucker’s unapologetically angry sophomore album. His latest album, released on October 1, 2021, is a very far cry from his debut. Lyrics are marked with anger, loud drops, and instrumentations. Zucker says that this album is his realization of being blatantly mistreated, thus the expression of anger. CRUSHER is a kaleidoscope of feelings, jumbled eclectic sounds, and emotions – his “most intense and emotional album”.
Ria: I actually didn’t know that he was releasing a new album. I thoroughly enjoyed his debut “Love is Not Dying” and was looking forward to hearing this new album. To be honest, I didn’t really expect anything or had many expectations because I feel like he’s still trying to figure out his artistry. Regardless, I got a wonderful world of, well, musical anger.
First of all, the melodies and instrumentation on this album is just *french kiss*. It is an absolute step-up to his prior album, and I really prefer this one. To add, the production of the album is also a lot better than the first. The use of synth, electric guitars, and autotune distortion and reverb was done really well. The unique mix of each song fits both the song and Zucker’s voice really well. I mean, that chorus on Therapist?? I was just chilling and suddenly the chorus dropped and I was like REWIND, WHAT’S HAPPENING?!
Jhanya: Unlike Ria, I’ve actually been staying updated with the latest news on Jeremy Zucker. Given that he was my favorite solo artist last year, it was only normal that I kept tabs on his latest releases. For this album, I didn’t really have expectations (tbf I never really do when it comes to music) but it didn’t stop me from being underwhelmed upon listening to it. I know that Jeremy is still experimenting when it comes to his songs, but for an album that started out pretty strong and had great singles, it was a mid-tier album by the end of it.
The real highlight of this album was its instrumentation and production. There were many different instruments mixed together and the majority of it went so well in giving an intense vibe (like what Ria said above^^). I liked how for some songs, Jeremy stuck to his original style but enhanced it with the instruments and production. It really hyped me up. Him trying new styles was also very nice. I loved the more upbeat Supercuts last year so I was excited when Jeremy tried to do something similar with 18 and HONEST.
Ria: What really let me down would be its lyricism. It just fell short as a whole. However, some songs did hit hard. Like I said, Cry with you is absolutely heartfelt. I also probably have high standards in lyricism, with the songs coming out lately (My Universe, Coldplay X BTS! stream. now.) and the songs I’ve been listening to lately (BTS, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo) really have top tier lyricism so I might’ve gotten used to more imagery and storytelling in songs.
Jhanya: The lyrics are really the downfall of this album. As much as Jeremy wanted to express his anger and feelings with CRUSHER, the lyrics came out very average. But it could just be because this year has really given us tons of lyrically gifted songs and albums (ex. SOUR and Happier Than Ever) that CRUSHER can’t compete with.
Ria: Another thing, I feel like the album degraded as it progressed?? Especially in those latter songs (Don’t come over, i’m an a**hole and Sociopath). I just loved the initial songs too much that the ending songs kinda let me down. BUT I did really like that last song (No one hates you (like i do)). The verses were a good ending for the whole album and the chorus really highlighted the theme of the album, anger, with the use of distortion.
Jhanya: I have to agree with Ria on this one. The later songs before the last one weren’t the best ones to end the album with. They were very forgettable and had the worst lyrics in the album as a whole.
Ria: My favorite song on this album is Cry with you. This song had that peak lyricism in the whole album. I mean:
"If nothing else gets you through, gets you through,
Then darling I'll cry with you, cry with you"
That just hits my heart a hundred percent. Listen to the song while reading the lyrics. It hits so differently. Although the instrumentation and melody isn’t top tier in the album, it did fit the song.
Another top song is definitely Deep end. When I first listened to the song, I repeated it because I loved it so much. Again, those lyrics really made my head whirl. The meaning of this song is also especially heart-wrenching because it can be related to different aspects – love and mental health. It just really fits and it shows the vulnerability of a person.
And, I have got to mention i-70. That intro song was wonderful! The instrumentation of that song was so beautiful *cries*. The harmony of the voice and electric guitar really gave me goosebumps and the melody really hit it. Because of that song, I got super hyped to listen to the album. It made me look forward to what else Zucker has in store for me.
Jhanya: My top 3 songs would have to be HONEST, Therapist, and Cry with you. Because tbh, the singles were really the top songs in this album. Ever since HONEST was released, I had it stuck in my head despite forgetting the title every single time LMAO. For my other favorite songs, Jeremy really did a great job in expressing his vulnerability as a whole.
Final Thoughts
Ria: Overall, I’m adding this album to my library. I enjoyed the majority of the album and the instrumentation really stood up. The album, as a whole, is really intense and emotional. From the soft-rock to the hard-pop-rock vibes it gives, I would say this album is a banger. This album is also especially nice to listen to when I just want to angrily rant HAHAHAHAHA
Jhanya: CRUSHER, though underwhelming, had a great vibe. It’s the type of album you want to listen to when you’re feeling tense but still wanna chill. Jeremy sticking to his usual style despite switching up the main feeling and message was a fun listening experience. As a pop-rock fan, this album easily goes to my list.
Song Rankings
| JHANYA | RIA |
1 | HONEST | Cry with you |
2 | Therapist | Deep end |
3 | Cry with you | Therapist |
4 | Deep end | i-70 |
5 | 18 | HONEST |
6 | When i'm around | When i'm around |
7 | No one hates you (like I do) | No one hates you (like I do) |
8 | i-70 | Sex & cigarettes |
9 | I can't look at you | I can't look at you |
10 | Sex & cigarettes | 18 |
11 | Sociopath | Sociopath |
12 | Don't come over, i'm an asshole | Don't come over, i'm an asshole |
Rating
Criteria | Jhanya | Ria |
|---|---|---|
Lyrics (2) | 1.583 | 1.46 |
Melody (2) | 1.604 | 1.48 |
Instrumentation (1.5) | 1.291 | 1.35 |
Meaning (1.5) | 1.208 | 0.92 |
Originality (1) | 0.6875 | 0.79 |
Relevance (1) | 0.583 | 0.67 |
Loop Value (1) | 0.7916 | 0.73 |
TOTAL | 7.75 | 7.38 |
Final Score | 75.65 | |
FINAL RATING:
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