Junior Boys - Last Exit
(Kin, 2004)
Last
Exit was preceded by two 12" releases that were strategically placed in
the hands of critics/bloggers who were likely to be open to Junior
Boys' sound -- a mishmash incorporating parts from numerous styles and
countless artists while being evasive enough to prevent dismissive
accusations of plagiarism. The slippery tendencies left the releases
open to several elaborate rounds of "spot the influence" on the part of
the writers, all of whom were successful to some extent. Call the group
bedroom dance-pop, a boy band conceived by The Wire, sophisti-pop as
produced by Germany's Timbaland analogue -- whatever. The group's
ability to synthesize so many elements with such subtlety really isn't
their greatest asset; it's that their music can be enjoyed with or
without all of the analysis and context, whether you're tucked inside a
snowbound outpost or winding your way through some vast metropolis
during nighttime. Several Last Exit highlights come from the teaser
releases. "High Come Down," "Birthday," and "Last Exit" run on sparse
skitter-beats, elliptical keyboard prickles, and endearingly vulnerable
vocals, and they're all coated in a compound of arctic frost and
stardust. "Under the Sun," however, is a guitar-driven detour into
shadowy atmospherics, trailed shortly thereafter by new song "Teach Me
How to Fight" - the group at their prettiest and most touching thus
far. The difference between the two songs illustrates the group's
second greatest asset - their ability to be alluringly aloof, only to
bring you to your knees with something wholly heartrending. If you like
your pop a little left of center and found the Postal Service to be too
cute and syrupy, your fix is here. And, just as a point of order,
Junior Boys' use of synthesizers and drum machines -- unlike a lot of
groups and producers these days -- is a lot more contemporary than
past-obsessed. [The Domino version, distributed in the U.S., adds a
second disc containing the non-album cuts from the singles.]
- Allmusic.com
Powered by ScribeFire.
10/29/2007 |
Category:
mp3
|
