★★★☆
In a world where paint-by-numbers electropop dominates the charts, it’s easy to lose sight of the pioneering electronic acts of decades past, and just how much more this broad genre has to offer beyond soaring choruses and club-friendly beats.
Looking back at the previous decade, French duo Justice come to mind among the cream of the crop of the indie dance world. Now, nine years later, the pair have returned with their third album, Woman.
The record is slow-building and subtle yet powerful, with a perfect ensemble of elements flowing and meshing together across the ten tracks. It won’t take long before you find yourself nodding along to a funky bassline or singing one of the looping choruses. Soaring strings and the signature Justice choir bellowings are interspersed among the high-energy drums and synths of ‘Alakazam!’ and blissful pop of ‘Randy’ and ‘Love S.O.S.’
However, the album starts to falter in its second half, with the tedious ‘Chorus’ clocking in at over seven minutes. ‘Heavy Metal’ also misses the mark, sounding like a gothic supernatural theme tune on steroids.
Despite a couple of lows, Woman sees Justice return to their glory days of the mid-2000s.
WomanbyJusticeis available now through Because/Warner.
