Last Exit (Reissue)

REISSUE!! VINYL FORMAT. This is the Domino version! There's no hype accompanying this group's assured ascent, because Junior Boys are not particularly fashionable (yet), and their sensitive, soulful, serene sound tends to provoke a reflective, measured response from those who hear it, rather than the usual premature ejaculation of superlatives. Critics love to try to categorize Junior Boys, to pin down their distinctive style, but, as you'll appreciate when you play the album, that's a tricky thing to do. You can say that Last Exit sounds like X doing Y with Z if you like, but it's the songs -- the magnetic, mesmeric songwriting of Jeremy Greenspan -- that stay with you long after the comparisons have faded. His songs are vulnerable and sentimental, tender and romantic, without resorting to cliché. They're cutting-edge, but easy on the ear. They discreetly use clever arrangements and advanced techniques to make their synth-pop as human as possible. They have a talent for writing familiar songs in an unfamiliar way, and for writing unfamiliar songs in a familiar way. "Last Exit" succeeds in every respect because Junior Boys execute their ideas with style and grace. This is charming music for a charmless age, old-fashioned pop performed in an exciting new way.