Last Exit
by Junior Boys
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. Uncut
    100
    It's hard to believe there will be a better record than Last Exit released this year. [Jul 2004, p.102]
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  2. Spin
    91
    They do it better [than the Postal Service]--catchier songs, chillier production and more sophisticated beats. [Nov 2004, p.118]
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  3. Drawer B
    90
    Last Exit is a monumental debut... on par with It’s My Life or Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.
  5. Stylus Magazine
    90
    There isn’t a single mis-step on Last Exit.
  6. Blender
    90
    Presents a rarity--a genuinely new sound. [Nov 2004, p.136]
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  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    90
    It's thrillingly obvious that Junior Boys have made one of the year's best albums. [31 Jul 2004, p.41]
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  8. Dusted Magazine
    90
    Last Exit is a truly excellent album, one of the best of 2004 so far. But what is truly exciting is the promise Last Exit holds for the future – for that of the Junior Boys themselves and the countless others it is sure to inspire.
  9. Mojo
    90
    Tender dream-pop which is simulataneously familiar and novel. [Aug 2004, p.96]
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  10. PopMatters
    90
    Last Exit, while being one of the year's most cutting-edge releases, is, most importantly, a warm, friendly, entirely accessible pop album.
  11. AllMusic
    90
    If you like your pop a little left of center and found the Postal Service to be too cute and syrupy, your fix is here.
  12. Pitchfork
    89
    Greenspan... manages to fold elements of nearly a quarter-century of forward-looking pop into a distinct sound without sounding either conceptual or trading on contradictions or the smoke-and-mirrors of attention-grabbing eclecticism.
  13. cokemachineglow
    85
    It is indeed a soaring achievement, one seemingly without missteps.... In fact, the only drawback of an album this expertly executed is its smoothness.
  14. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Supple, stylish electro-pop so cool it makes glaciers jealous. [24 Sep 2004, p.106]
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  15. Q Magazine
    80
    It's '80s synth-pop in spirit rather than form, miles away from the make-up clad silliness of electroclash and much more interested in muching about with present day technology than simply recreating the past. [Jun 2004, p.98]
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  16. The Guardian
    80
    In different hands, some of the songs might be butterscotch-smooth MOR but Jeremy Greenspan's voice never loses its neurotic edge.
  17. ShakingThrough.net
    80
    Last Exit is noteworthy for taking on a sound that's easy to screw up (emoting over synthetic beats) and actually making it work.
  18. Urb
    80
    But wait, you say you're sick of disingenuous irony? Well so are we, which is why Junior Boys is such an astounding relief, boarding on rapturous in their melancholy. [Jul/Aug 2004, p.125]
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  19. Tiny Mix Tapes
    80
    What keeps Last Exit grounded is the laid-back approach to the vocals and beats.
  20. The A.V. Club
    80
    Junior Boys makes hushed, blippy dance music with a contemporary sensibility, as though Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark had been continuously recording since 1980.
  21. Almost Cool
    75
    Your tolerance level for the group will probably mostly have to do with how well you can stand the rather light vocal stylings and the sometimes lighter-electronics programming.
  22. Dot Music
    70
    This is music that sounds like it was plotted by sad psychics graduates in lab coats. It's clean, melancholic and sterile (in a totally non-derogatory sense) - full of gently undulating rhythms and melodic pulses.
  23. Rolling Stone
    70
    Elegant tech-house, sexy without being stoopid. [28 Oct 2004, p.100]
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  24. Junkmedia
    70
    What worries me about the obviously talented Junior Boys is their tendency to round their corners. The music is so safe, so pleasant; it's not hard to imagine it in the Starbucks CD rotation without raising an eyebrow.

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Album of 2004
53
#53 Most Discussed Album of 2004

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 53 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 53
  3. Negative: 9 out of 53
  1. longjetty7
    Mar 18, 2016
    10
    A truly amazing album, one of my all-time favorites in fact. I really love the sound that Junior Boys have crafted here. It's so unique andA truly amazing album, one of my all-time favorites in fact. I really love the sound that Junior Boys have crafted here. It's so unique and interesting, but at the same time so entrancing that I could listen to this for hours on end. The electronic production is amazing, and Jeremy Greenspan's smooth voice compliments it well. Last Exit has a nice dark atmosphere that's so easy to get lost in, and it flows from song to song effortlessly. Even 12 years after its release it still sounds wonderful and fresh.

    Standout tracks: Teach Me How To Fight!!!, Birthday, More Than Real    … Full Review »
  2. HugoT.
    Apr 1, 2008
    9
    It does sound bit cold but its more of dark ambient atmosphere...I dont see anything wrong on that! That's the way they told their It does sound bit cold but its more of dark ambient atmosphere...I dont see anything wrong on that! That's the way they told their story, I accepted and found this CD totally admirable! Everyone should spent more time with this one. Start with 'Teach me how to fight'!… Full Review »
  3. [Anonymous]
    Sep 9, 2007
    9
    Overall it's great. The minimal production adds much-needed sheen and elegance to the tired synth-pop formula, and parts, like the Overall it's great. The minimal production adds much-needed sheen and elegance to the tired synth-pop formula, and parts, like the beautiful sighs of the title track, take your breath away. But the juxtaposition of quiet, breathy vocals and almost dancefloor-oriented beats sometimes creates an uncomfortable juxtaposition; it's almost as if there's no perfect place to listen to this record. I'd love for this to be a record to listen to quietly with headphones in the dark, but the sudden stabs of synth often jar me out of the state of total relaxation I feel the album is trying to create. However, the second disc from the US version is absolutely sublime: Unbirthday clears away layers from the original birthday, stripping it down to its beautiful core, and the two remixes are the finest songs I've heard in 2004. So that's an 8 for the first disc and a 10 for the second.… Full Review »
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