Junior Boys – So This is Goodbye

When it comes to electronic music, the brand that Junior Boys has created is definitely some of the easiest to get into. Accessible and yet heady with minimal tendencies, the kind of music this duo crafts is both masterfully composed and easy to get lost in. Their second album, So This is Goodbye, focused on a brighter kind of sound than their first album and before the moody soundscapes of Begone Dull Care, the cover art fittingly portrays the kind of music behind the veil. The title track rests at the heart of the album and starts with a slow burning shroud of color. The synthesizer is the only constant here with everything around it acting as pure atmosphere. There’s a foggy sort of dissension and the lyrics are pointedly poignant, “So this is goodbye, no need to lie.” This is the kind of album you could play at the dark of night, in your bedroom, with nothing but your headphones surrounding your ears as the beats blast away. And when this song hits, it’s as if everything lets loose: a certain kind of blissful swaying and easily one of the album’s many highlights.

Before the album ends, you get this other song that also begins with a cloud of atmosphere: bits and pieces of robotic sounds before the piano takes main stage. At first I was floored with the lyrics about feeling entirely alone when no one is around to vent to, or to love, “When No One Cares” is a Frank Sinatra cover. The version by Junior Boys removes the strings from the original and replaces them with pacing keyboards that lightly glimmer in the background, because the star of the show here is the aching vocals. “You’re like a star that dies…and seems to keep on dying.” On Sinatra’s version there is this huge cascade of strings that definitely support, but don’t take over. Instead, Sinatra’s voice melts with the strings and although I’m still a fan of the version by Junior Boys, there had to be Sinatra suffering heartbreak and finally coming out of his shell for us to even have “When No One Cares.” It’s always awesome to listen to such sad words when there is no current sadness in the heart simply because you can take everything at face value; instead of being entirely sad with it. If that makes sense – either way, great music all around. – Bryan

Grizzly Bear - Friend EP

There are so many superlatives that have already been used before to describe Grizzly Bear’s sound: it’s aesthetically rich and substantial, it’s built around the foundation of four stellar musicians that all take turns singing, playing melodies, delivering harmonies and in the end, they create a truly gorgeous sound. I remember hearing Yellow House and being amazed at its dark palette of colors, that although their music was definitely never ‘bright,’ it was surely colorful. The Friend EP is something they did before Veckatimest came along and it features a few originals by the band, a few covers by the band and a few covers of their music by other bands. I’ve been reminded of them a lot this past week in finding someone else that also loves them, plus Blue Valentine was a terrific movie to see last night and the music in it is 90% Grizzly Bear.

For fun, here is CSS’ cover of “Knife” in its electronically-infused, poppy sheen. It’s cool to hear such depressing lyrics in this upbeat manner:


I’m still not entirely sure on the story behind “Deep Blue Sea” but I’m pretty sure it’s a cover of an old traditional song. I imagine it probably sounds entirely different to the one on Friend. I was gonna post that one here (and say some flowery stuff about how its simplistic nature leads to subtle and stunning beauty) but I can only find the version that’s found on the Dark Was the Night compilation. And they aren’t that different but well, they’re dissimilar for sure, either way here’s that one because it’s still a lovely song:


And so Blue Valentine ends with the choir version of “Alligator,” the same version used on Friend. It’s a downright classical blend of swirling instruments and voices that turn into a huge cascade of sounds. I think the fact that it’s so disjointed and never really in focus is what makes it that much more endearing and then suddenly, when it explodes and the beat kicks in, everything sounds just right. They’ve got such a knack for finding the perfect balance in their music that even when they’re singing “You are my alligator” over and over, it sounds sublime. – Bryan