Justice - Woman Worldwide

Justice
Woman Worldwide
2018
Spotify

So this labum is not only a bit of a departure for Justice, but also for this blog. Woman Worldwide features some new songs, but mostly they are studio reworks of what Justice has been playing live. On this record they are trying to capture some of the magic they have live and put on wax. It's a departure for the blog, because I typically like to only review new music and this is somewhat of a greatest hits. However Justice do enough to make the tracks feel at least a bit new from their originals if not totally new. What are you going to get with Justice? Aggressive electronic dance tracks with a nice healthy does of synth. The way Justice harness these elements though is really different from most artists in the same space. Chromeo is too goofy, and while Justice often play the tongue in cheek game like having a massive light up cross at their early shows but at the heart they are trying to make music that just plain slaps. Justice have tried live albums before that pumped in crowd noise and kept the sound gritty intentionally, but on this album they really lean in to trying to capture the live spirit of their shows. The album flows spectacularly just like any live show should and the tones are really crystal clear. It makes you realize how much they lost on those other albums by using the fake crowd noise, their music illicits that vibe all on it's own.

You also have to realize that this album somewhat serves as a greatest hits, which takes the whole idea of a new album and messes with it. I'm sure a ton of work has gone into putting these tracks in their place and reworking them to whole new heights, but it's still some of the best songs complied together. At times they do a bunch to distinguish themselves from the originals, but other times you are just listening to songs you like. "Stop" and "Love S.O.S." are almost exactly the same as their originals which feels a bit clunky and odd. There is also this really distinct difference between the tracks with their vocals and those with the affected vocals or Kids Choir. Justice's vocals just aren't super great and have this too high for a guy singing style that I just can't get behind. "Pleasure x Newjack x Civilization" is that way where you just can't wait for them to get back to the blaring synths and leave the vocals behind. The record is also almost an hour an a half long which not only sounds like a lot, it actually is a whole hell of a lot. Yet these moments click through constantly that reinvigorate you and bring you back into the album even as it continues on. This is really the first time they have really captured the vibe of their live performance without actually recording it, and truly it sounds awesome. Not ideal for your backyard BBQ but when you are ready to turn up the volume and piss off your fucking neighbors, Justice has got you covered.

8.0 out of 10