Photo: Creative Commons via Kool Kids
Gritty electro-pop banger duo, Justice refuses to treat its sophomore album as a victory lap of its 2007 debut. Taking a stab at ‘70s arena rock, Audio, Video, Disco goes retro and will have listeners strutting around their bedrooms in honor of the revolution. Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, the pair of Parisian mixmasters behind Justice, show their true prog rock colors, yet preserve their dance-floor destroying beats and monster synths. Sure, a little Justice swagger has been lost, but “Civilization” proves everything’s still raging.
Audio, Video, Disco begins in expected infectious fashion with dramatic song “Ohio,” which incorporates a psychedelic beat matched with harmonized vocals not too distant from The Beach Boys. Nevertheless, the grime returns, synthesizing the guitar riffs of “Canon” and “New Lands” to death and then sucking up the blood only to spew it onto the rest of the album.
This album includes infusions of everything from the disco pop beats of “Helix” to the air-drum inducing down beats of “Parade.” Just embrace the club jammers’ take on power chords and arena rock. Even if you’re not feeling this new side of Justice, “On’N’On” remains the album’s best electrifying reason for all the hype.
