Origin Crxss’s Artist Page is HERE
The opening notes of “Chop ’em Down” by Origin Crxss arrive with a deceptive tranquility, floating through the air on a soft treble piano riff that feels as fragile as glass. The moderate use of reverb creates an expansive, lonely atmosphere, placing the listener at the edge of a fog-covered riverbank where the world feels muted and still.
This serene introduction, however, is merely the calm before a very intentional storm. As the vocals enter, they do not slide into the melody; they cut through it. The performance is surgically precise, using staccato phrasing that functions more as a percussive instrument than a traditional melodic line. This rhythmic “stop-start” energy echoes the pacing of an intentional jog through both literal and metaphysical thoughts, where every breath and every step is a conscious decision to move forward.
In a modern musical landscape that frequently leans into the glamorization of escapism through substances, Origin Crxss takes a hard, refreshing pivot toward radical clarity. The lyrics serve as a manifesto of sobriety and boundaries, stripping away the romanticism often found in the “pills, meds, and drink” culture of contemporary alternative music.
There is a palpable sense of reclamation in the line, “I can’t pop no pills / I don’t even like prescription meds,” establishing a narrative of someone fighting to inhabit their own mind without filters. The artist displays a rare, raw honesty by referring to the body as a “defective vessel,” yet this is not a plea for pity. Instead, it is a vow of resilience: an acknowledgment of internal struggle paired with the grit required to “make it work.” This transparency grounds the track in a reality that feels earned rather than performed.
This review was submitted by fellow NAS artist: Jake Sommer
Their artist page can be found HERE
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