Oh My Rockness

Synth-pop that doesn't blow is hard to pull off, yet Canada's Junior Boys dig deep and somehow manage to make a sound that's exciting and fresh. Front man Jeremy Greenspan's thin voice sweats sexuality as he seduces listeners over R&B-twinged electro grooves created by shivery synthesizers.

This is soul music where pleasure and pain are intertwined to create a melancholic sound that is inexplicably catchy. Think New Order meets Depeche Mode meets Throbbing Gristle, only with an indie aesthetic. Heaps of praise are being dumped on these guys, and deservedly so. It isn't often you can say "synth" without saying "sucks." This is chill music for people, like me, who hate chill music.

Published 10/09/04