Disposable Everything by AJJ

Review written by small fish

When my friend first introduced AJJ to me when I asked for album recommendations, my first reaction was, “I think I heard one of his songs on TikTok.” I went in with an expectation of a TikTok one-hit wonder but was blown away by Disposable Everything. This is a fun folk-punk album that highlights the singer’s relationship with himself, society, and the people around him.

Disposable Everything opens with “Strawberry (Probably)”, a fast and driving song, setting the tone for the album’s drum-and-guitar focus. The tonal similarities between most of the songs encourage you to focus on the vocals and to consider the lyrics of each song, while the driving instrumentals make you want to start skanking.

The album mellows out in the middle with “The Baby Panda”, “A Thought of You”, and “Candles of Love”. These songs give the listener a brief rest from the punchy drums, slowing down and focusing on dreamier instruments like the Omnichord, a mellow guitar. These dreamy songs discuss gentler topics like love and grief but still touch on anti-class themes.

Like a boot to the face in a mosh pit, the album jumps to speedy and angry with “I Hate Rock and Roll Again.” However, this speedy mood quickly shifts for the last three songs. These last songs are more ballad-like, adding a dramatic yet cathartic flair to this album’s conclusion.

Disposable Everything is distinct in AJJ’s discography due to its high production quality and more professional mixing. It is heaps better in sound quality than the previous albums. While some listeners may argue that a more rugged sound adds to AJJ’s punk style, I think the improved mixing helps display AJJ’s artistic vision more accurately and makes the album appeal to a wider audience that might otherwise get put off by the rough recording.

Disposable Everything is the perfect album for those who enjoy a contemplative and social commentary-filled album, those who are disgusted by capitalism and its consequences, or those who just want to dance to a catchy folk-punk tune.