Tobias Jesso Jr., True Panther Sounds, 2015

“You can’t miss Tobias Jesso Jr. He’s six foot seven… He’s your new best friend.” Accompanied by Jesso’s contemplative face, these were the key lines from his first tour ad in 2015. The campaign as a whole had the design of a 70’s-era concert poster, emulating artists like Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson, with whom he shares musical qualities as well.

A bass and guitar player, Jesso Jr. sat behind a piano for the first time at age 27 and found his sound. Not only is Goon a piano-driven album, but Tobias’ songwriting work since has used the same tenets to set the tone.

Among the Alternative and Soft Rock communities, Goon garnered high marks upon its March 2015 release. He was firmly on the watchlist of every major music publication, a breakout candidate.

But Goon might as well be four songs, perhaps an EP. The first four have more than enough pent-up emotion to release, the other eight are just bonus tracks.

“Can’t Stop Thinking About You” draws the listener into Jesso Jr’s world. The first word may be the most important: “Marianne.” This isn’t just a sad song, it’s painful, intimate, and vulnerable. We know this because we know her name.

Track 2, “How Could You Babe” tries to poke fun at itself, but it reflects too much pain. He can’t laugh this loss off. It’s a much deeper loss than love. It’s a song about the loss of time, both in the future and the past, that should’ve been spent with his loved one. It’s an unexpected betrayal that ends it. But the song itself ends even more dramatically than expected.

Paralyzing apathy toward anything other than preserving one last memory, zip-locking up the last garment they wore so their smell won’t fade, pasting Post-It notes randomly on the walls of the cavern between your ears that is now your mind. Scribbled on them are locations, glimpses, whatever you have left. That’s Without You, Track 3. It seems that “there’s nothing out there.”

The fourth track of the album, “Can We Still Be Friends” takes a frank and childish view at getting back together, relating to the middle-schooler in all of us. He recalls being forgiven by his friend as a younger man, perhaps hoping that it will translate to a newly broken relationship.

The first five all together seem to loosely represent the five stages of grief, with bargaining and depression switched. He denies, saying “There’s got to be something I can do.” Angrily, he lashes out with Track 2. Realizing that she won’t love him again, he lets the listener drown in Track 3. As his last hope, he remembers begging her to keep their friendship alive. Then with “The Wait,” he’s back on the dating scene, having accepted the break-up.

“I can hardly breathe without you. There is no future I want to see without you.”

Tobias Jesso Jr., “Without You”

But with “Hollywood,” it’s clear that his rebound didn’t go to plan. He’s now in the City of Angels, desperate but indecisive. The turmoil of the city envelopes him and the song in a powerful crescendo.

Through this song, the release is a blueprint for a break-up album. It runs the gauntlet of lows, all presenting different struggles, thus different keys and transitions. He highlights his ability as a musical match-maker.

The last six songs bounce between playful, remorseful, adventurous, and reserved. “For You” and “Leaving LA” are the closest hints at his future work, solely as a songwriter. Their peppy, four-handed piano melodies caught on with artists like Adele, Florence and The Machine, and Shawn Mendes. The top moments on the album are the more forceful ones, feeling the chords carry through until the next one is jammed down. This is beautifully exemplified in the chorus of “Leaving LA.” Also look elsewhere for it on “Hunger,” performed by Florence and The Machine.

Tobias, after abruptly canceling an Australian tour in 2015, has not performed live. His true passion is writing, and 2022 has already been a big year for collaborations. Co-writing three songs on FKA Twigs’ new emo-vibe album Caprisongs, Jesso Jr. is building on 2021 which saw him lean into angsty tones with Amy Allen and electro-pop with LANY.

Expansion and diversification can’t hurt, but Jesso Jr’s true strength is in heartbreaking ballads, at least when he writes for himself.