Justice - Audio, Video, Disco (2011) [TR24][OF]

Where Justice’s self-titled debut took a heavy metal approach to electronica, its long-awaited 2011 sophomore album plays with a palpable passion for bygone progressive rock. “Horsepower” opens with a cavalcade of vintage synthesizer tones interlocking with angular guitar lines, sounding like the robots from Daft Punk have kidnapped Rick Wakeman. But dance floor disciples need not fear; the Parisian duo of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay delivers a disco-dappled standout jam in the following “Civilization,” where Ali Love provides androgynously sexy guest vocals. Vincent Vendetta of Midnight Juggernauts also lends layered vocal harmonies on “Ohio,” a lyrical reworking of David Crosby’s “Orleans” (replete with period-correct harpsichords) from If I Could Only Remember My Name. The funk foundation of “Helix” and the bookending title track similarly offer something for sweaty nights on the dance floor— especially the latter, which slowly builds into a bright and sunny club-friendly jam. It’s carefully structured throughout, to let the pop blueprint of verse-chorus-verse stand out above the labyrinthine arrangements.

TRACKLIST
01. Horsepower
02. Civilization
03. Ohio
04. Canon (Primo)
05. Canon
06. On'n'On
07. Brianvision
08. Parade
09. New Lands
10. Helix
11. Audio, Video, Disco