junior boys

Dance-punk is so 2003, but dance-pop is so now. With Cut Copy, Crystal Castles, M83 and practically anything coming out of Sweden, 80s-sounding music is better today than it was in the 80s. Even now, with the release of their third album, the Junior Boys have never been catchy enough to fit into this group of up-and-comers. Their signature electronic formula, which carries over to LP number three, Begone Dull Care, synthesizes the values of house, dance and pop. The result is a collection of eight slow jams that sound like they've been refracted through a disco ball. The pace is always mid-tempo, meaning these cuts won't make it to the dance floor until the after-after party.

Opening track "Parallel Lines" starts the album with something of a whimper. Not until the fifth song, lead single "Hazel," do the Boys step into full-swagger stride. The track could easily be a sequel to their excellent 2006 cut "In the Morning," a lament for stunted young love. The masterful application of synths-that-mean-business propels both songs skyward.

Though each track is crafted well enough, Begone Dull Care is simply less compelling than their prior albums, especially debut Last Exit. Perhaps a result of the familiar formula losing its luster, or a relative lack of emotional heft, the six-minute songs on Begone Dull Care overplay ideas and overstay their welcome. It's difficult to say why or how Begone Dull Care could be disappointing-Junior Boys' trademark sound, still singular in 2009, permeates. But sadly, Begone Dull Care is "too dull to care" much about, which is a shame for such a talented band.