On Nov. 5, 2021, Dijon released his debut album, “Absolutely,” a heartfelt record that weaves romantic moments with mundane experiences that feel equally as special. Up to this point Dijon was most well-known for his singles, “Violence” released in 2017, and “Skin” released in 2018; both of these reaching the vast majority of listeners by way of TikTok.

This debut album showcases Dijon touching on his typical reoccurring themes: romance, heartbreak, and every mundane moment in between. And yet, the depth at which Dijon is willing to explore these topics makes the album feel like a completely different experience from his previous work. It is in this album that he solidifies himself as the king of fragmented imagery: a simultaneously vivid and lucid description of a moment. With lyrics giving us, the listeners, just enough stir emotion inside, leaving just enough out that we complete the gaps with our own intimate memories.

“Absolutely” begins with “Big Mike’s,” a song that immediately shows you what listening experience lies ahead, with the lines “I like how you look when you got questions (questions)/I like how you look when you get stressed/You’re all tensed up (ooh).” Dijon’s voice eloquently fades in and out above distorted drums hits and similar to a Fleetwood Mac whining guitar. Truly a worthy introduction to the album.

Dijon shifts the energy with the next two tracks, “Scratching” and “Many Times” where he taps into his Bob Dylan influence of calling out various names, reminiscing about the times where he and “Joanne” laughed together, and cried together. By the end of the first track, he comes to the conclusion that these are but memories, and whatever destroyed their relationship “can’t be undone/shadows stretchin’ and scratchin’ at your heels when you run.”

After she has run away, Dijon finds some agency in the following track, asking in a potent way, “How come it always ends this way? / You can’t take the pressure off you just to put it on me / Talking to your friends on the phone / Airing our dirty laundry.” Amidst a soft piano loop in “Scratching,” and the persistent drums on “Many Times,” Dijon reveals his secret weapon: a voice that gets more and more beautiful as it gets louder.

If “Scratching” and “Many Times” stand as the first emotional peak of the album, “Annie,” “The Dress” and “God in Wilson” are standouts in the melancholic collection of songs in the middle of the album. With a cohort of background vocals, horn licks and heavily saturated drums, Dijon tells Annie of “Annie” in an incredibly fragile yet brazen voice, that she’s free to leave whenever she’d like.

“The Dress” is the most straightforward indie-pop banger on the album, with 80s DX-7 keys, snares and a wah-filtered bass making up the backbone of the track. Shimmering synths and heavy R&B guitar licks add to the atmosphere, weaving from left to right. Dijon cuts through the instrumentation singing about meeting someone from the past on the dance floor, with standout lyrics such as “We should go out and dance like we used to dance / We should go out and hold hands like lovers hold hands.”

After Dijon gets caught up in the heat of the moment dancing with his former lover, the follow up track “God in Wilson,” describes his emotional experience having stepped of the dance floor, shaping up to be the most intimate slow jam on the album. As Dijon shows his eye for recognizing the divinity in mundane observations, his use fragmented imagery in lyrics shines through as he jumps transiently from topic to topic. This is best shown as he gives a touching description of who he was just dancing with, saying “And Helen is a good dancer / She can move just like she’s hexed / I like to watch her spin around and ’round / Sweat dripping down her neck / And I do quite like / Imagining things sometimes.” These extraordinary lyrics are accompanied by extremely loose drums, beautiful background vocals and of course, indescribable instrumental hits.

The standout aspect of proceeding track “Talk Down” is the truly incredible drum sample, that Dijon effortlessly builds upon with raspy vocal deliveries. Halfway through the track, the piano and bass drop out, giving way for the once airy drum loop to switch to a tight and beautifully saturated sound, with splashes of tambourine in the mix. The repetition of the lyrics “I like it when you talk down,” pairs perfectly with the instrumentation of the track.

Just when you thought you couldn’t peel any more layers back on a fraught and raspy voice, “Rodeo Clown” shows you that Dijon can. His voice cracks as he yells out, “So what are you so afraid of? / You’re missin’ out / On good, good lovin’,” to someone not listening. On a track that is his stream of consciousness after being stood up on a date, the instrumentation of guitars and other various sounds are minimal. This allows for Dijon’s outstanding and heartbreaking voice and lyrics come for your heart, and for your memories.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t write about all of the songs on the album, so take this as a list as my curated favorites. If you’d like to listen to full album yourself, and I can’t truly recommend this enough, you can listen here, or on your preferred streaming service.

If you’d like a visual of just how much of a somatic experience music is for Dijon and his band members, you can watch the short film for the album here.

Eli Howe can be reached at [email protected].