"Find What You Love and Let it Kill You" is the second solo release from Jonny Craig, former front man for the post-hardcore groups Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa, and Ghost Runner on Third. This is the second installment in his solo career, not counting a demo that was leaked in 2012. The EP was released September 24, 2013 to the delight of Craig who stated “I’m stoked to finally release the music I was meant to make…I’m excited for everyone to hear what I’ve put my blood, sweat and tears into over the last year.” It’s an easy listen, at about a half an hour long and consisting of seven songs. The entire album has more of an R&B vibe, a far cry from what he heard in his DGD and Emarosa days. However it also has some rock elements blending beautifully with Craig’s vocals. It’s a very deep and meaningful album lyrically for the most part. The second track, ‘I Still Feel Her Pt. 5’ makes cheating on your significant other sound beautiful. Not exactly something deep or meaningful, and it’s something that’s totally wrong, but the song, the beat and Craig’s vocal range is what makes it beautiful. Two of the most meaningful songs on the album, at least in my views, are ‘Diamond’ and ‘Jesus Died for You Not Me’. Any Jonny Craig fan knows about his struggle with hard narcotics, and these tracks address that; “Now today, everything’s at stake. Back against the wall. These dreams, I still chase, I pray for a second chance. Plan for a future based on my past”, “And every day with these feelings, every day it just gets worse. I’m holding on through it all, it’s just a gift and a curse. Walking through these rude ones. Rebuilding everything I’ve done. Waiting for this storm to pass, waiting… Turned their back when I was down. They looked, they left me to drown.” My personal favorite song on the album is ‘The Upgrade’ because it’s adorable, and about him (the speaker in the song, possibly not Jonny) wanting to ask his girlfriend to marry him “I’ll put a ring on that finger” and it’s just really a great song. Gentlemen if you want to impress your girl, this song is a great start. In its entirety, it’s fantastic. A change sure, but why does change have to be a bad thing? For once can we let change be a good thing? I was never a huge fan of the R&B style until I listened to this album. And maybe it’s not the conventional type of R&B, but it’s an amazing album nonetheless and really show’s off Craig’s vocal abilities.
Rating: 4.5/5-Holy sweet mother of all things good in the world where do I even start? This was my first time listening to Jonny since his Dance Gavin Dance days (which I still have on my iPod) and I was completely blown away that it was the same person. I was expecting the same style as DGD and my jaw dropped, I was, and still am, beyond impressed. I don’t know much about making beats or mixing songs or anything like that, but with my untrained ears I think the beats sound fantastic. Others might disagree, but like I said I know as much about that as I know about brain surgery.
You can purchase “Find What You Love and Let it Kill You” on iTunes!
Be sure to check him out on tour with Breathe Carolina, Mod Sun, Lionfight, Divided By Friday & Ghost Town.