Justice – Cross

I heard about Justice from my friend Kevin, who heard about them from an old Casa Italiana friend of ours, Sarah Gluckstern. I bought the song “Newjack” on iTunes and liked it. Then Justice started getting all sorts of hipster press. They’re a pair of scruffy French guys, who can’t be more than 23 years old. It sounds like a perfect backstory for an indie dance/electronic duo.

The album doesn’t quite measure up, though. Much like Kanye West’s new album, the record is frontloaded with all the good songs, and the back half of the album is a real chore. On the other hand, the opening 5 or 6 tracks are fantastic. Justice’s signature sound consists of some vocal samples, a great drum track, and a bassline all hacked to pieces and assembled like a collage. The end result sounds like a robot symphony. Or like the house DJ at a bar in Blade Runner’s dystopic future Los Angeles. It’s reminiscent of Daft Punk, with their commitment to melody and guitars (or at least guitar-sounding synths), but it’s harder and more ominous. If this sounds interesting, you owe it to yourself to check out “Newjack,” “Genesis,” “D.A.N.C.E.” and “Phantom.”