The Junior Boys have released their fifth album, Big Black Coat, on a new label, City Slang. It has been five years since anything has been heard from them, while the members of this Canadian duo were involved in other projects like Caribou, Jessy Lanza and Diva. Now that they have returned, Junior Boys warmed up from the frosty, alienated sound of previous albums. Big Black Coat still has some cold, calculated beats, but we also see warmer techno-y synths met with more fire and desire in the lyrics.
This album has smart, club-worthy tunes as well as more down-tempo fare. The seventh track is a frenetic, Kraftwerk-esque cover of Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love.” Vocals throughout the album are sometimes whispery, sometimes falsetto, and in an R&B vein. The entire album is highly listenable and is likely to please a wide variety of listeners.
Recommended If You Like: Caribou, Chet Faker, Matthew Dear
Recommended Tracks: 1 (You Say That), 5 (M&P), 7 (What You Won’t Do For Love), 2 (Over It)
Do Not Play: none
Written by Meredith Vacek on 02/21/16