Album Review: Djesse Vol. 4 by Jacob Collier

By Michael Ybarra

Music Journalist

It is very common for artists to struggle with finishing a piece of work. The final brushstroke, the final vocal run, the final edit. There is always something more that can be added or taken away, making it difficult to let go. It is hard to end something well, but Jacob Collier has perfectly concluded his entry into the world of music with the final album in the Djesse series.

With Djesse Vol. 4, Collier has dealt all his cards. He has left nothing to the imagination. He has successfully constructed a living, breathing ecosystem of music, achieved by uplifting unique cultural sounds and blending them to create an innovative body of work.

Listeners take a journey around the world by listening to songs like “A Rock Somewhere” and “Mi Corazón (feat. Camilo).” The former showcases the organic sitar, a traditional Indian instrument, as it melds with the artificial autotune and electric guitar. The latter features conga drums in the verse, highlighting  Columbian heritage, before the funky bass and synthesizers encourage listeners to dance in the chorus.

These songs allow Collier’s mastery over music to shine, showing his ability to effortlessly merge sounds from across the world.

In the wake of “Moon River” on Djesse Vol. 2, Collier wanted to challenge himself yet again to make an acapella track by covering “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel. His acapella reputation is nothing to be scoffed at, but this arrangement is turned up to 11 by the addition of Yebba, John Legend and Tori Kelly, three of the “greatest vocalist who are living,” according to Collier.

I could write an entire article about how complex this arrangement is, but Collier has already posted a nearly two-hour-long breakdown of his Logic session.

This cover represents everything spectacular about Collier. He is unafraid to pull music in every direction, changing keys in an instant and pushing vocalists to the edges of their range.

Watch Tori Kelly marvel at Collier’s arrangement much like the listener below.

The grandness of this arrangement cements Collier as a musically creative genius.

“Box Of Stars Pt. 1” and “Box Of Stars Pt. 2” free Collier from musical expectations. These songs feel like everything music can be. Adoring crowds cheer as genres and cultures fuse together, proving music can be used as a tool for achieving unity across the human race. The dissonance in the brass instruments of the Metropole Orkest provides delicious tension, a black hole collapsing in on itself, before VOCES8 takes control while electric guitar shreds in the background.

Collier has taken the listener on a space journey and returned them home after an adventure unlike anything they have ever heard.

The final track, “World O World,” serves as the end credits to the album and this portion of Collier’s career. Grateful for all the success he has garnered, Collier pours his soul into one last piece. Altos belt, sopranos sing in the stratosphere, and tenors color the choir with dissonance. This final goodbye is perfect for the end of the Djesse era.

No album has blown me away like this before. I constantly found my jaw dropped open, shocked at how lucky I am to experience such special music. If a work of art can make you feel something, move you in some way, I think it is priceless. Djesse Vol. 4 offers a sense of completion for the Djesse era, something which is hard to do correctly. I think my love for Collier will continue throughout my life, and this album proved me right.