The music of Young Jesus has always been about change. Bandleader and sole original member John Rossiter is a restless spirit, always moving, always seeking new sounds, new thoughts, new methods of working. Young Jesus’ new album Shepherd Head is a dramatic departure for the band, delving deeper into the themes that have always fascinated Rossiter—love, loss, and God—approached in a completely new direction. It’s a record of growth and exploration, pushing forward into the future with hope while still holding the pain and regrets of the past, seeking a balance for the present.
Young Jesus began when John Rossiter left college after doing acid with two of his high school friends and decided to join their band. After a couple of albums, he moved to L.A. with the intention of never playing music again, however, the new environment woke something up in Rossiter. After forming a new version of the band, they signed to Saddle Creek, releasing three well-received albums, 2017’s self-titled LP, 2018's The Whole Thing Is Just There, and 2020’s Welcome to Conceptual Beach. Conceptual Beach in particular was a breakthrough for the band, garnering significant praise from Pitchfork, NPR, Stereogum, and many others for its balance of emotional warmth and more philosophical overtones, expanding the band’s sound and range, incorporating new sonic elements.
Shepherd Head is a record completely unlike anything in Young Jesus’ discography. Rossiter’s voice is deep and lovely, conjuring a sense of melancholy and grandeur, but never with bitterness or despair. The disparate elements—the found sounds, the friend cameos, Rossiter’s disciplined songwriting—come together in thrilling and sometimes shocking ways. There’s a joy to the music, the wild hope and possibility that arises after tragedy, a feeling of revelation.
Shepherd Head is an album of healing, of acceptance of weakness, of love, and of hope. It’s the sound of an artist stretching himself, going to new places and facing the pain and fear of life. Gathering together the sounds of the world, from the chatter of friends to footsteps of strangers, and building something new out of it. Something singular and unique. Something beautiful.