Junior Boys

Before there was Clap Your Tapes And Say Art Brut, there was Junior Boys: the proto-blog success story. Starting with a pair of mysterious twelves of smart, crisp electro-hooks, the releases were shrouded in abstract imagery and classic graphic design which hearkened back to the heydays of Factory, Mute and Some Bizzare. The music that poured forth was inspired by the past, present and future all. Last Exit, the album that followed, answered the promise, distilling the last twenty-five years of electronic pop music into one potent potable. What followed was worldwide acclaim and live performances, including a marathon tour of North America with Caribou and The Russian Futurists that prevailed over heat stroke, jellyfish stings, speeding tickets, abandoned vehicles, vigilant customs agents and close encounters with quicksand & fuel pumps to deliver a series of uplifting shows that made the travelers forget their woes.

Today, Junior Boys aren't so much a myth as a revelation. The Canadianbased duo have emerged with a pop statement that is easily one of best albums of the year. So This Is Goodbye is a work that exhibits a confident mix of focus, clarity and ambition. From the upbeat single “In The Morning” (a collaboration with tour mate, Andi Toma from Mouse On Mars), to the somber triptych that closes the album which touches such kindred spirits as Sylvian, Ferry and, yes Sinatra (as with their cover of the ol' blue-eyed classic, “When No One Cares). Junior Boys manage to tease soul and longing out of their machines in a way that few have dared try.

Goodbye.