Well it’s a bit misleading to say “first” — I’ve been listening on and off to the promo of the newest Junior Boys LP for a month or so. But it’s still with a set of fresh ears that I try to form an opinion of this very clean, very understated, mostly unassuming record.
First of all, if you haven’t read eMusic’s Michaelangelo Matos’ review, head over to the album page now. He’s already beat me to the punch on the unassuming-ness here — Begone ditches much (if not all) of the shiny big-chested vocal-pop moments of So This is Goodbye. The sound is more sleek and bleak, with sprawling track lengths and an incredibly crisp production lean (the synths tend to stab and squiggle rather than pitch up into a flourish). It’s still electro-pop, I suppose, and there are some delicious, candy moments: the sly funky boogie of “Bits & Pieces” and minimal new wave-lite of first single “Hazel” especially.
God do I hate saying “grower,” but… you know. I think the first couple of listens might cast Begone as a bit too chilly and faceless. People yearning for that skittering Johnny Dark production from the fake Timbaland/2-step days of Last Exit sure won’t be satisfied here and it doesn’t quite hit the High Highs of Goodbye (“In the Morning,” “Double Shadow”). There is a lot of bubbling beauty on this record, though: the sweeping lull of perfectly chintzy keys on “Sneak a Picture,” the slow-build swell of album ender “What It’s For.” These are the two longest tracks on Begone at about seven minutes a piece. It’s easy to get lost in the whooshing and swooshing (all sound, no fury?), but the cumulative effect reveals a sublimely beautiful drift.
A layered, subtle and flat out great-sounding record, it’s also an eMusic steal at eight tracks. No one quite does tasteful electronic pop like Junior Boys right now — it’s absolutely worth letting Begone unfurl it’s charms on you. I promise, it’ll happen.
the thing that started to annoy me a bit with this one is that most of the songs start off with these thin, almost embarrassing (hard to describe) parts that predictably build into something quite nice. Sure, that’s how a lot of the songs have always been, but for some reason that path is more evident here and gets a little repetitive for me.
it really is a grower. i’ve had the promo for about a month as well, and while i was initially “meh” on it, now i think it’s excellent. what’s great about its growingness (uhh) is that as it grows on you, it sounds warmer. it’s tailor-made for winter into spring!
definitely looking forward to the NYC show on may 7th.
i think this is the strongest Junior Boys record to date and, thus far, it’s my #1 album of the year. (though, Fever Ray is giving it a run for its money.)
Dig this album. Really soulful, in a way I wasn’t expecting. I’d say it’s one of my faves of the year.