Junior Boys- It’s All True Review

This review is all true.

Junior Boys - It’s All True (2011) – 7.6 / 10.0
Domino

Junior Boys, the duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus, picked an interesting time to release the follow-up to their 2009 album Begone Dull Care. At one time their sound could have been considered innovative and original, but bedroom indie pop music has become such a norm in 2011 that it’s easy to lose many artists in the fold, even established acts like Junior Boys. The one-time Polaris prize nominated group doesn't accept getting swept under the rug by a bunch of upstarts though. There’s enough on It’s All True to separate and distance Junior Boys from the new crop of electro-indie poppers.

Instead of creating a party or drowning the album’s sound in brooding synths, Junior Boys emphasize a romantic vibe that drips with sex appeal. Greenspan’s singing is seductively inviting and never clashes with the music’s semi-dance sound. You may start this album up when introducing some mood while on a date. Much of It's All True is actually subdued with the duo taking a minimalist approach compared to similar surrounding acts. It’s All True proves that layering noise on top of noise isn’t always better than using vocals and a simplistic beat to get a song’s point across. Opener “Itchy Fingers” is so meek compared to the boldness of other electro-indie duos’ songs, but it's mesmerizing with its slowed down R&B/funk chorus without needing bombast.

At just nine tracks, It’s All True looks light, but the songs stretch quite a bit. Many go past the five minute mark while closer “Banana Ripple” runs past nine minutes with a dance injected theme that won’t drive you to dance. I’m not saying that as a negative either. Many bands use enthusiasm as a way of hiding an album’s flaws. Junior Boys are more toned down, and it makes the album easier to accept with further listens. Whereas something like Born Gold’s album Bodysongs is akin to a temporary sugar rush, Junior Boys are an Everlasting Gobstopper.