Justice
Audio, Video, Disco
Four years is a long time to wait for a follow up to any record. During JUSTICE’s absence, I chatted with DJs and fellow music geeks about their upcoming record and many of these music die-hards believed the duo had run out of gas. I, on the other hand, believed that JUSTICE would seize the day and save our current dance culture from Dubstep’s strong hold on the electronic scene. But, I ended up looking like a fool…I was so wrong. The first song, “Horsepower,” begins as the rest of the album sounds – like a cheesy affair with hair metal. As the rest of the opening track plays on, it seems like a proper way to kick off their reintroduction – but don’t get your hopes up. The glimmer of JUSTICE’s dark side is sure to trick fans, especially if you haven’t read up on the album yet. The much-anticipated release then bleeds into “Civilization,” a poor excuse for a comeback single. The song – like many others on Audio, Video, Disco – lacks the power and sex appeal that was delivered on “D.A.N.C.E.,” the debut from their first album. “Ohio,” the third track, is just laughable. The vocals are heavily manipulated with electronics to sound like an Elliott Smith rip-off. I appreciate the hat tip, but I’ll save that sort of crooning for the real deal when I’m alone with the bottle. On this new album, the only reference to the mighty Cross is on “Canon,” which is my only favorite track. It finds the duo at their most hard-knocking, although it’s still a far cry from “Waters of Nazareth.” It’ll be interesting to see the live-band sound of the new material presented on stage and transitioning to and from the old songs. The evidence is on “On’n’on,” featuring the voice of Morgan Phalen from Diamond Nights, whose vocals bring the spirit of a 70’s singer on an arena tour – cute but not dangerous. It doesn’t even sound like two guys behind a computer. When you listen to Audio, Video, Disco, you could be daydreaming about cooking eggs, bacon, and taking sunny morning walks. What I want to hear is a JUSTICE record that I can envision ungodly hangovers and partying with coke whores to. It seems the band’s iconic leather jackets have been traded in for ironic plaid shirts, but I can only hope for the duo to prove me wrong and progress into something more than a one hit album act.