Big Black Coat
by Junior Boys
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. AllMusic
    Feb 4, 2016
    90
    Compulsive in more than one sense, Big Black Coat contends with Last Exit as Junior Boys' deepest, most vibrant work.
  2. Mixmag
    Feb 3, 2016
    90
    It all adds up to their most rounded, consistently engaging record yet.
  3. Resident Advisor
    Feb 8, 2016
    84
    Casual and understated as ever, Greenspan and Didemus seemed to be making a point: Big Black Coat isn't the triumphant return of Junior Boys, it's just the next chapter in an ongoing story.
  5. Q Magazine
    Feb 4, 2016
    80
    At once elegant and enigmatic, only he willfully prosaic title strikes a jarring note. [Mar 2016, p.111]
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  6. The Guardian
    Feb 4, 2016
    80
    It’s that ability to mix elements smoothly that makes Big Black Coat so easy to love.
  7. NOW Magazine
    Feb 4, 2016
    80
    A new urgency and immediacy provide welcome counterpoint to the reserved Canadian introspection that still characterizes their songs.
  8. Pitchfork
    Feb 4, 2016
    80
    It's impressive and frankly unusual to see a band five albums into their career experiment with new sounds and actually make it work, but Junior Boys have pulled it off. Career longevity looks good on them.
  9. Mojo
    Feb 3, 2016
    80
    Their reunion album fizzes with energy--although it retains the underlying melancholia that defined their previous work. [Mar 2016, p.95]
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  10. Exclaim
    Feb 3, 2016
    80
    Over 11 tracks and 50 minutes, the Hamilton duo create compact and unhurried works that reflect the musical simplicity and approachable feel found on their 2004 debut, Last Exit.
  11. Magnet
    Feb 12, 2016
    75
    Their liveliest, most varied offering since their debut. [No. 128, p.57]
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  12. Consequence
    Feb 3, 2016
    75
    While it still falls short in holding attention from start to finish, Big Black Coat signals a welcome return. Junior Boys created their most uncomplicated album yet, which still holds their signature style, and with it comes a jagged body of music made soft to the touch thanks to Greenspan’s buttery vocals.
  13. The Line of Best Fit
    Feb 10, 2016
    70
    All in all, Big Black Coat is another strong release from Junior Boys, a much needed warm hug during these cold winter nights.
  14. Spin
    Feb 9, 2016
    70
    Big Black Coat works best when the music is as committed to frenzied, all-consuming libidinousness as the lyrics, and on those grounds, it’s a surprisingly successful reinvention for the duo: one that feels more in line than recent efforts with the strengths (if not the tones) of their earliest material.
  15. Drowned In Sound
    Feb 8, 2016
    70
    Despite perhaps being a little too tasteful to truly excite, Big Black Coat is an accomplished, soulful effort that will reward casual listeners and audiophiles alike.
  16. PopMatters
    Feb 8, 2016
    60
    All the songs on Big Black Coat sound like love songs, all eleven of them.
  17. musicOMH.com
    Feb 5, 2016
    60
    It’s a slightly uneven collection with some weaker tracks, but nevertheless its creators remain artists whose ability to construct slinky, agile grooves with a dark underbelly is still well worth seeking out.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22
  1. CiphirSol
    Feb 9, 2016
    9
    Well-crafted, well-produced piece of electropop. It's the kind of stuff that should be on the radio but will probably get swept under the rugWell-crafted, well-produced piece of electropop. It's the kind of stuff that should be on the radio but will probably get swept under the rug by custom people who snub it with their concerns that are overly critical.… Full Review »
  2. longjetty7
    Aug 30, 2016
    8
    This album is definitely a grower. The songs are a bit more experimental than some of Junior Boys' previous stuff, and they don't immediatelyThis album is definitely a grower. The songs are a bit more experimental than some of Junior Boys' previous stuff, and they don't immediately pull you in, but after listening to this several times, I definitely think it's a strong album. The production is cohesive yet varied and fantastic overall, and the songs have a nice flow to them. The style is sort of a cross between jazz, techno, dance, and R&B, which is a really interesting combination. At first it doesn't seem like a standout album but I find myself coming back and listening to it pretty frequently. It's got a great vibe to it and is really enjoyable. Definitely one of their strongest albums.

    Standout tracks: Big Black Coat, You Say That, Over It    … Full Review »
  3. Custom_Concerns
    Feb 6, 2016
    4
    Big Black Coat is a well-crafted, well-produced bore. These dance-pop tracks go in one ear and out the other with boring, predictable, andBig Black Coat is a well-crafted, well-produced bore. These dance-pop tracks go in one ear and out the other with boring, predictable, and unbearably repetitive vocal melodies. The vocals are merely okay; they are devoid of any and all emotion, but they do fit reasonably smoothly atop the synthetic beats. There are some entertaining moments here, but not enough to make this album worth your time. This would make semi-decent background music.

    45/100    … Full Review »
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