Review Summary: Really tasty fast food.
I feel like there’s very little dispute over
Cross being Justice’s most revered album, but as someone who has only dabbled in their work over the years, from various bandmates and friends enjoying their music, I was intrigued to know why any album proceeding
Cross was met with fairly polarising opinions. As an observer looking in, I listened through their discography in preparation for this review and to me, the writing is on the wall. What
Cross does exceptionally well over all of Justice’s other albums is it creates a sound with a pithy approach, has a raw production that captures the essence of a dirty rock sound – which clearly resonates with people who don’t just listen to dance music – and while Justice’s influences can be pinpointed throughout the record, they aren’t outright lazily worshiped; they put their own unique creativity and distinction into it beforehand. These points are made crystal clear on the debut and as such, it’s easy to understand why anything after
Cross fails to live up to the high bar being set. In
Audio, Video, Disco and
Women’s case, they lack the understanding of what made the debut click with so many people. Both records have pristine productions that, were they corporeal, would look like glass, and the songwriting overall lacks the complexities, depth and idiosyncrasies of
Cross.
So what does
Hyperdrama offer fans who are yearning for that gritty, dangerous electro-rock-dance sound? Well, not much if I’m honest, but, if you’re like me and you love a good ol’ slab of electro disco-funk with plenty of slap bass passages, a vista of moody synths, and a series of psychedelic flourishes akin to, ironically, Tame Impala, you should get plenty of miles out of the album. In fact, honestly, in the context of Justice’s discography, this feels like a pretty conservative offering that sets up shop on the foundation of the last two LPs. Indeed, like
Audio, Video, Disco and
Women, there are plenty of meandering moments – spots where you can’t help but drift off into space – but in equal measure, there are some excellent ideas lurking in
Hyperdrama’s cosmic expanse. The pummelling “Generator” with its abrasive dark-synth assault, the funky guitar on “Dear Alan” echoes the genius of Daft Punk’s
Random Access Memories, and the epic cyberpunk voyage “Muscle Memory” (which reminds me of N64’s A Perfect Dark, due to its haunting synth) showcase
Hyperdrama’s greatest assets. Then there’s the middling numbers like “Neverender” and “One Night/All Night” which are decent but jarringly, sound more like Tame Impala with Justice guesting on them than the other way round. Similarly, the majority of the vocal-fronted tracks on here are superfluous ready-meal-styled tracks that lack staying power or identity. While “The End” is an appropriately fitting closer for this album, as it summarises the album’s strengths and weaknesses in just over four minutes.
Still, with the exception of “Explorer” which I can’t even get through because of its nauseating and disorientating groove perpetually pulsating throughout, there isn’t a bad track on here; tracks are either great or they do a serviceable job, in spite of their derivative dispositions. So with all of that in mind,
Hyperdrama will ultimately please fans who enjoyed their last two albums, but for anyone else hoping for a more adventurous LP that captures the succinct, edgy and grimy attitude of
Cross, you’re going to be left disappointed. Justice’s fourth album caters to the radio-friendly masses, and frankly, they do a good job of it.
