Even in our darkest hour, music is something we can latch onto for comfort, resolve, and hope for better times. It is something we can connect with happiness, sadness, complex situations, or simply everyday life. This is the case with many of us, and Singer-Songwriter Adrian James Croce (A.J. Croce) can say that music has honestly been his salvation.
In love with Soul, Jazz, Blues, and early Rock-n-Roll since his youth, A.J. was only two years old when he lost his dad, the iconic Jim Croce, who tragically died in a plane crash at thirty years old. Left with his father’s legacy, A.J. was dealt some further bad hands moving forward after losing his vision at the age of four.
Overcoming and eventually regaining sight many years later, A.J. continued to find himself and quickly learned music was his path toward inner peace. In fact, he began playing gigs at the age of twelve. Then, when only eighteen years old, he began touring as B.B. King’s keyboard player before being signed to his first record contract at nineteen.
A magnificent trajectory for a young musician, A.J. would go on to release his self-titled debut album in 1993 at twenty-one, handling the vast majority of the songwriting while the production was taken on by T-Bone Burnett and top Record Producer John Simon. From there, A.J. continued to grow as a musician, putting out That’s Me in the Bar in 1995 and Fit to Serve in 1998, flying through two more decades of consistent releases through to 2017’s Just Like Medicine before 2021’s By Request. Earning acclaim for each of his efforts, it became apparent that A.J. was his own man with his own vision separate from the amazing work his dad, Jim, left behind.
With that in mind, A.J. has not shied away from his dad’s work but instead finds a deep connection with it, first performing live sets of those songs in 2012. Moving forward with tours he calls Croce Plays Croce, it is not to be missed, and anyone who has seen A.J. perform live is aware the concerts are electrifying as he unites his father’s most beloved songs with his own originals along with heartfelt conversation. Performances that bridge the gap between generations, now in 2025, A.J. returns with a brand new collection of his music, Heart of the Eternal.
His first studio album in four years, it is a direct follow-up to By Request and arrived on March 7, 2025, through BMG. Keeping the music flowing, A.J. has faced more trials in recent years. The most scarring is perhaps the sudden and heartbreaking loss of his wife, Marlo Croce, who in 2018 passed from a heart virus. A man of great emotion, A.J. carries with him the love he and his wife shared and recognizes her as his best friend who brought him happiness and, no doubt, further inspiration in the nearly three decades they knew one another.
With a deeper understanding of the wounds A.J. bears, some might think that the body of Heart of the Eternal is soaked full of sorrow, but it is actually quite the opposite. You see, A.J., who has certainly been taken to his knees by life, refuses to be beaten down or defeated. Using the art of song as his form of healing, you can see how resilient the performer is in the album’s opening track, “I Got A Feeling,” which has an upbeat Blues rhythmic guitar lead with him testifying to leave his struggles at the door.
A great way to kick off the record, moving on, A.J. offers a great mix of Blues Rock with songs like “On a Roll,” “Didn’t You Want That Too,” “Turned Around,” plus “Reunion” (which A.J. co-wrote with the famous John Oates). Speaking of “Reunion,” the track is also featured on John Oates’ 2024 Reunion album, but for Heart of the Eternal, A.J. is on lead vocals. Very cool to hear each of their takes on the composition; it is urged to consider listening to both versions side by side.
There are also some really interesting shifts throughout Heart of the Eternal, like the Surfer Rock vibe of “Complications of Love,” the gritty rocker “Hey Margarita,” and the jazzy bluesy hybrid “All You Want.” However, one of the boldest of the strong tracklist has to be the absolutely stunning “The Finest Line,” with dangling piano notes as Country Singer Margo Price joins A.J. on vocals for a haunting effect.
Overall, A.J. Croce is like a fine wine that seems to get better with age. With Heart of the Eternal, he manages to balance all his musical influences into one colorful and uplifting album. That is why Cryptic Rock highly recommends continued listening and gives it 5 out of 5 stars.
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