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It’s a record that takes a little patience and a little effort but when given the proper attention it will become like that one album from when you were young that just won’t leave your iPod.
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A new album means more romantic whispers and languorous synth beats. Both ingredients are bountiful on the Canadian duo's third full-length.
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Devoted fans need not worry, though--the album still holds the melancholic flavor they’ve come to perfect, just with some added twinkling synths, hints at old-school R&B, and a splash of funk for good measure.
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FilterWhile certain tracks such as "The Animator" And "What It's For" seem to get a little lost in themselves, most tracks triumph in the end, becoming thoughtful and often foot-tapping experiences not to be missed. [Spring 2009, p.92]
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The duo's third album uses its fidgety rhythms and broad palette of synth sounds to create music that's perhaps subtler and more emotionally resonant than any they could hope to fashion using "real" instruments.
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This time around they sound slightly more connected to genuine dance music, while at the same time stripping away some of the atmospherics to allow more of their subtle pop sensibilities to surface.
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Begone Dull Care almost feels like slipping outside, like the band performing as anything other than the Junior Boys. But it’s exactly when the Junior Boys within them shine through the charade of evolution that they are allowed to pierce through, into both the eternal and the zeitgeist.
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Under The RadarAlbum closer 'What's It's For' is the perfect come-down for an album that places Junior Boys in the pantheon of great like-minded duos such as Hall & Oates and Pet Shop Boys. [Spring 2009, p.79]
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The suggestion the pair have somehow increased the emotional palette of their repertoire is a red-herring, but this is still a tremendous success.
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It’s certainly a fine achievement, an awesome collection of music has found its way onto Begone Dull Care, and Junior Boys present everything in such an excellent way.
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The acid test for an album such as this is to play it on a grey day and see if it can still work its magic. Begone Dull Care certainly does that, and is all the more remarkable for doing so with only eight tracks to draw on.
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Q MagazineIt's beautifully put together, remarkably so given that it was constructed largely via the internet. [Jun 2009, p.124]
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UncutThis lolls with a neat mix of languor and subtle urgency through the kind of smart/funk The Beloved mastered 20 years ago. [Jun 2009, p.90]
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Quality electro from Canadian groove mechanics.
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So when I call Begone Dull Care a "mature" album, know it skirts both the positive and negative connotations of one of the most divisive adjectives in pop's lexicon.
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Junior Boys’ immaculate synth-pop comes with a heartsick afterburn, even such unrobotic elements as a wandering saxophone or gentle acoustic guitar.
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The atmospheric Begone Dull Care feels more appropriate for a slick urban lounge than the dance floor, meaning it sounds fine without feeling like it has to be listened to.
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While there's decent fun to be had here, the Junior Boys have disregarded the dynamic intrigue of their previous work.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 6 out of 6
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Mixed: 0 out of 6
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Negative: 0 out of 6
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MycroftWApr 17, 2009Different but the same as the previous albums and another winner.
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EricCApr 15, 2009
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BabaApr 9, 2009