As they go on, it feel like Junior Boys are allowing their sound to thaw incrementally: So This Is Goodbye felt less icy than Last Exit and it makes good sense that in the press photo that accompanied our post of album standout "Parallel Lines" Jeremy Greenspan and Johnny Dark are caught in the midst of a sunspot. It would be misleading to characterize Begone Dull Care as warm, but there are definitely some brighter tones mixed amid the frigid synthesizers and Greenspan's achy new wave vocalizations.
As we've previously mentioned, Begone Dull Care's a reference to a short film by Norman McLaren, who they say also influenced the album as a whole. But this is just namedropping unless you can see the flick and hear Oscar Peterson's sounds accompanying the hand-painted animation. So here it is, a "fantasia of color" (see, not just hues of blue).
Drawing from that larger palette results in upbeat (and upfront vocally) dance floor shakers like "Bits & Pieces" and its "I see you better when the lights are out" bragadoccio. Yes, past tracks like "Birthday," "The Equalizer," or "In The Morning" tap into something dusky but also anthemically joyous. Well, where do you put the almost-chipper, Nobukazu Takemura-style synth glitter of "Dull To Pause" in the Junior Boys canon? Again, nothing actually sunny, but the duo is definitely cracking some light hole in the side of their box (just wait until 2:44 mark in this one to see what we mean). Does it work?
It's interesting: Now that the atmosphere's more varied, individual tracks feel more naked, exposed. The overall vibe isn't as cohesively nighttime and frigid. During the first couple of listens this has us thinking Begone Dull Care had a few dull spots (even though it opens immaculately with "Parallel Lines"). After a few more listens we've found more to dig ("Work" really does work it and "Dull To Pause" is so weirdly satisfying in its sing-a-long nerd-ball anthemics), but there isn't anything as majestic as "Teach Me How To Fight" or as immediately moving as "FM." The first single "Hazel" pales in comparison to the aforementioned (we would've lobbied for "Parallel Lines" to be single one).
So, ok, much of Begone will go over well on the dance floor (and better in the dark bedroom), but letting in the light isn't always the best thing for a party. That said, fans will certainly find plenty of things to be happy mopey about, and these compositions are incredibly layered and complex, so we need more time to parse it all (the clickity, intimate, seemingly stringed "it's all 'cause of you" love song "Animator" just now bloomed ... and keeps on blooming). We're gluing the headphones on and plan to keep digging even after "published" gets pressed on this thing.Also, we're happy to report it's snowing in Brooklyn again: Ideal listening conditions for Junior Boys, even at their "sunniest."
Begone Dull Care is out 3/24 in Canada and 4/7 in the US via Domino. Before that, you'll be able to nab the 12"/digital single of "Hazel."
