ALBUM REVIEW: “It’s All True” by Junior Boys

June 14. 2011 | By Mayumi Okamoto

Junior Boys 
It’s All True 
[Domino Records]

If you want to dance your pants off in a natural state of elated bliss or mope quietly in solitude during a chemically induced emotional withdrawal, It’s All True can assist you in grooving it out or drowning your feelings with a bottle of vodka. The nine track album from the Canadian electro-pop duo Junior Boys is the musical embodiment of the manic-depressive dichotomy, not only in the sequencing of the tracks but also in the pairing of up-tempo bubbly synths with lyrics about disappointed hopes. Given this rollercoaster of an album, it could have easily felt disjointed or schizophrenic, but surprisingly, its composition is cohesive and plays to our emotional experiences as sentient beings.
 
The album’s opening track, “Itchy Fingers,” finds Jeremy Greenspan happily vindictive as he sings about mind games while conjuring up images of murdering flies with folded paper. The tracklist downshifts quickly with the moody soundscape and mellow synthlines in “Playtime,” like a slow drag off a cigarette after a long night alone. Ironically, catharsis can be found in “A Truly Happy Ending” as pent up emotions are released through staccato beats and high pitched falsetto vocals all about letdowns and unrealistic expectations. Regardless of your psychological state or emotional point of view, let the Junior Boys be your musical savior and self-medicate with It’s All True.

Junior Boys – Banana Ripple by DominoRecordCo

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