Album Review: Tobias Jesso Jr. - "s h i n e"

After a decade, Tobias Jesso Jr. returns to the spotlight with s h i n e. The songs sound incomplete and unfinished, like rough sketches or demos that could be more refined on a proper album. The presentation leaves a lot to be desired, making me wonder why he came back in the first place.

R&R - 2025

Tobias Jesso Jr. seemingly came out of nowhere and then returned back to nowhere in an instant. A Canadian singer and songwriter, Jesso picked up the piano at a later age in his career and made it his focal point. He released his debut album Goon a decade ago through True Panther Records and made a huge splash as a result. It's an excellent array of piano ballads that evoke the 70's era of Paul McCartney and other balladeer contemporaries. His vulnerable singing and simple approach made these songs come to life and they truly sound timeless and of a different era at the same time. Songs like "How Could You Babe," "Without You," and "Hollywood" are all time classics in my book. After his breakout, to see Jesso completely retreat from the spotlight and instead decide to write songs behind the scenes was a disappointment, but understandable. But in hindsight, it's been really working out for him. He's written hits for countless pop stars, including Adele, P!nk, Miley Cyrus, and Harry Styles. I'm just naming a few here, but the list of credits is pretty massive. He even won the first ever "Songwriter of the Year" GRAMMY award, which is pretty darn impressive to say the least. Currently on the charts, Olivia Dean's "Man I Need" is possibly on track to be the number one single and it's cowritten by Jesso. That's not too shabby.

Since his retreat from performing to sole songwriting, I never would've thought he would return to make music himself, but I always kept my fingers crossed just in case. Now after a decade of absence, he's finally released a new album. Titled s h i n e, it's noticeably different from the 70's pastiche of Goon. His new album is even more sparse, simple, and skeletal, where the piano ballads are even more vulnerable and naked. The songs themselves are once again strictly piano ballads, but they range into more pop and R&B this time around and are less folky. They sound more modern, as if his heavy writing involvement with Justin Bieber's SWAG album has been peppered in on s h i n e. It's quite a noticeable shift in sound and style, but his piano playing and songwriting are still on point. I can't waive off his talents and they are well deserved, but I hate to say that something does sound off on s h i n e. The songs sound incomplete and unfinished, like rough sketches or demos that could be more refined on a proper album. The stark piano is there but so are the squeaks and rustling movements, the hiss of the rough recording, and Jesso's not so refined vocals. I can appreciate this on a certain level and there are artists who embrace in this aesthetic really well, like Grouper, but it doesn't sound fully cohesive on this record.

There are moments on the record where songs at their core are very pretty, reminding us as to why Jesso is such a great songwriter. "Rain" is a highlight and it's the closest thing to cohesion on this album and "Waiting Around" has a strong start. One of the bigger issues is Jesso's singing, which just sounds off, especially when he reaches in his higher register. "I Love You," "Black Magic," and "Lullaby" have numerous points where the singing is so out of tune that it can be grating. I know he's a great singer and has proven so, if only he rerecorded another vocal take that actually sounded great? The glitchy noise that booms unexpectedly towards the end of "I Love You" is shocking, jarring, and completely unwanted. No one asked for it and no, it's not quirky nor is it interesting. It just takes away from the song. It's actually pretty ridiculous to be honest. When I first heard it, it really pissed me off and it still does.

To come back after a decade to release a collection of tracks that sound unfinished is pretty darn disappointing. The presentation of s h i n e leaves a lot to be desired, where many of the songs come off as pretty flat and forgettable, despite them having a decent quality at their core. I don't really see myself returning to this project and that is a very sad conclusion, considering how great Goon is. Maybe if he did more tweaking and actually came up with a more complete record, then I would see this differently. But for what is provided here, s h i n e is a letdown, a slog, and a disappointment. I appreciate the subtleties, the skeletal and vulnerable sound to an extent, but these songs simply aren't finished and they're not worth revisiting. I wish Jesso all the best on his future endeavors, but I'll be retreating back to Goon instead.

My Rating: 4 / 10

Favorite Songs: "Rain," Waiting Around"