“Musical frisson” is the term for those rapturous chills you get from listening to an album like Jonny Craig’s “Le Cube Sessions.” The Canadian-American singer dropped the surprise album on March 24, and it features five original songs and their corresponding remixes. Each song, with its own dark personality, is a soul-based masterpiece sent from Craig’s heart straight to yours.
The 29-year-old artist has been the lead vocalist for the bands Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa, Ghost Runner on Third and westerHALTS and is currently lead singer for the band Slaves. He also dedicates much of his time to solo work, which includes “Le Cube Sessions,” his second full solo album, his debut album, “A Dream Is a Question You Don’t Know How to Answer” (2009), a live album, a studio EP, “Find What You Love and Let It Kill You” (2013), and a special edition album of the same name.
Craig’s latest album is a continuation of his collaborative compilation album with Kyle Lucas and Captain Midnite, “The Blueprint for Going in Circles,” released in January. “Le Cube Sessions” contains some repeated lyrics from the January album, and Craig even borrows some verses from his Emarosa days. Nonetheless, his deep and powerful music is worth listening to a second time.
“Le Cube Sessions” is a crazy-good album, especially if you’re caught up in a tide of feels. The overall vibe is chilling and relatable — everyone has felt that soul-crushing blackness of heartbreak that Craig transforms into a poignant collection of verse accompanied by ethereal instrumentals; it’s poetry set to motion.
Craig’s flexible sound alternates between rhythm and blues to soul to alternative rock — all within the same album. “Le Cube Sessions” features The Weeknd-esque songs like “California Winters” and “Crossing the Ocean,” each a combination of haunting melodies and hypnotizing vocals. The opening song, “Swallow You Whole, While I Fade to Black,” characterizes the album as anguished yet gripping, the drums and electric guitar complementing the somber vocals and tone of the song. “Stand” is a blend of soul and rock, producing a unique sound reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright’s “Hallelujah,” but with a slightly uplifting tone that sets it apart from the other songs of the album. Craig returns to solemnity in “Resist, Rebel,” pairing the poetic theme of holding back with the compelling echo of a piano.
Each song has a remixed counterpart, and each remix offers a more upbeat and trance-like twist to Craig’s already enthralling and unique vocals. “Resist, Rebel (E-on Remix)” is distinctive in its fusion of Craig’s vocals and solitary notes of the piano with a hip-hop beat that leaves a lasting impression. “Crossing the Ocean (The Z Rokk “Do the Damn Thing Remix”)” is made over into an indie-pop ballad expressing an undying love.
Craig pours his soul out through his angelic vocals, giving each song a deeper, visceral meaning, lyrics aside. His unadulterated, tangible emotion gives the songs a sucker-punch, his obvious pain reverberating with your own. Craig has cited Motown as an inspiration for his music, and it’s obvious in his melding of his soulful vibrato with lyrics from a sore heart. Not only is the influence of soul evident in Craig’s style, a gospel sway is also seen in Christian motifs throughout the album, notably in the lyrics of “Swallow You Whole, While I Fade to Black” and “California Winters.”
“Le Cube Sessions” epitomizes intensely emotional lyrics about forgetting a great love, running from one’s self, experiencing loss and finding and keeping love. The album is equal parts melancholic and euphoric, hitting that tender and achy spot in your heart, striking a chord with abandoned lovers and rejects alike.
