On his second record under the moniker of J. Zito, this wonderfully talented artist has escaped the sophomore slump with the release of Before It Gets Better. Please read on for our full review of the album, in addition to a background on the artist.

Currently based out of Michigan and representing the music scene of Detroit, J. Zito is no stranger in the slightest to music creation. Following up his self-titled debut shared in 2019, he’s shifted his initial synthesizer sound into a guitar driven record titled Before It Gets Better. Dealing with extremely relevant topics to the wild times we’re living in, we sincerely can’t wait for everyone to get their ears on the album.

Blending up a fairly even mix of alternative and indie rock with a signature touch of his own, Before It Gets Better comes in at 11 total tracks, spanning just about 44 minutes in length. Right from the get go on the opener “Can’t Trust You”, J. Zito lets the listener in with an all encompassing soundscape that provided the perfect base for the rest of our listen. Incorporating a wide array of instrumentation and some seriously hard hitting vocal passages, the album quickly builds steam and doesn’t let the listener take a breath until the final moments.

While there were seemingly infinite positives we could find after our first run through, there were definitely some standouts we felt the need to point out. The amount of experimentation going on here in terms of the opening spoken word passages and time signatures changing all around, this artist has directly infused his passion for grasping a unique kind of music listener. While the overall sound was slightly reminiscent of an OK Computer-era Radiohead, which is a massive compliment in our book, he’s still managed to create an album listening experience that is like nothing we’ve ever heard before.

We’re always on the quest to listen to music that aligns with our personal tastes and Before It Gets Better was exactly that. Going track by track and telling you how much we enjoyed each song would sort of be a waste, mainly because we loved them all, but most important because of the cohesiveness of the album. There wasn’t really a standout single rather one long listening experience that we can’t help but recommend for you all to check it out. Do yourselves a favor and start at the beginning, hit that play button, and let the mesmerizing music wash over you.

With all that being said though, you can listen and follow along for more by checking out all of the links below. Enjoy!

Listen to Before It Gets Better

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J. Zito mesmerizes on powerful 2nd LP, "Before It Gets Better"