As a general rule, it’s probably best to avoid the word “dull” when titling an album — particularly if it’s following up a seminal record. Named after a 1949 short by director Norman McLaren, the album title seems to have jinxed Canadian electro-poppers Junior Boys on their third effort, Begone Dull Care. While still relying upon their masterful precision and restraint, the duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Matthew Didemus have slowed tempos and streamlined melodies to the point where Begone disappears all-too-comfortably in the shadow of 2006’s phenomenal So This Is Goodbye.
That’s not to say a group’s career should exist in reference to its most successful album; Didemus and Greenspan made the right choice to explore new styles and sentiments. “Dull to Pause,” one of the album’s few tracks with a distinctive chord progression, is Begone’s adorable blip-pop darling, a great song to break up the acoustic tracks on the mix you make for your next crush. Although “Work” is a yawning nod to Kraftwerk and Nine Inch Nails, it nonetheless provides a dark, sleek quality, a refreshing departure from the glowing synthlines of their last work. “Bits & Pieces” follows suit, with Greenspan’s breathy nonchalance beckoning, "Oooh/ I see you better/ When the lights are out."
But the songs on Begone do not unfurl, nor do they climax. As one song blends into the other, the eight tracks come across as innocuous-but-vaguely-edgy ambiance, the kind played at equally vaguely-edgy clothing stores like Club Monaco. Even the record’s most energetic tracks -- “Bits & Pieces” and “Hazel” -- don’t live up to their bright BPM intros. Junior Boys aren’t trying to make a dance album — nor should they — but the failure to develop the songs beyond their mild synth melodies and tedious faux-sexy vocals makes for a less engaging album. While their past efforts caught your ears and made you listen, this album will be half finished before you realize the first song has ended.
Begone Dull Care won’t go unnoticed, but it’ll more than likely get its most exposure at the end of the night, when DJs spin a couple tracks to let you know it’s time to go home. Let’s hope Junior Boys’ next album gives us more of a reason to stick around.
1. Parallel Lines
2. Work
3. Bits And Pieces
4. Dull To Pause
5. Hazel
6. Sneak A Picture
7. The Animator
8. What It's For