Big Black Coat

Big Black Coat
Studio album by Junior Boys
Released February 5, 2016
Genre Electronic, techno-pop, dance
Length 49:40
Label City Slang
Junior Boys chronology
It's All True
(2011)		 Big Black Coat
(2016)
Singles from Big Black Coat
  1. "Big Black Coat"
    Released: October 22, 2015
  2. "Over It"
    Released: November 18, 2015

Big Black Coat is the fifth studio album by Canadian electronic duo Junior Boys, released on February 5, 2016 by the group's new label home, City Slang.[1][2][3] It is the group's first record in five years.[2]

Background and release

Following the 2011 release of their previous album, It's All True, the duo spent several years pursuing solo and side projects, which included Jeremy Greenspan's working on music by Caribou and Jessy Lanza.[3] The group's press release cited Yellow Magic Orchestra, Plastikman, Robert Hood, Dan Bell, and ESP’s 1986 proto-house track "It’s You" as inspirations for the recording.[3] Describing the genesis of the album's title, Greenspan explained:

All the songs were about the guys that I saw down town who were just lonely and walking around. I wanted to give them a voice and all the songs are about guys who are frustrated with their emotional lives, frustrated by women, frustrated by everything. So the coat became a metaphor and an analogy of a way to insulate yourself away from the harshness of a Canadian winter. It’s pretty bleak."[4]

Big Black Coat premiered as a live NPR stream on January 27, 2016.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Consequence of SoundB[8]
Exclaim!8/10[9]
The Guardian[10]
Loud and Quiet6/10[11]
Mixmag9/10[12]
musicOMH[13]
NOW[14]
Pitchfork Media8.0/10[15]
Spectrum Culture[16]

Consequence of Sound wrote that "as they depart from their early combination of synthpop and R&B into harder, accented electronics reminiscent of early Detroit techno, Junior Boys push forward with one of their most liberating releases in a decade — and, best of all, they sound happy doing it."[8] Mixmag called it "their most rounded, consistently engaging record yet".[17] Exclaim! wrote that "their reunion album fizzes with energy—although it retains the underlying melancholia that defined their previous work."[9]

Track listing

Tracks written by Jeremy Greenspan unless otherwise noted.

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "You Say That"    4:56
2. "Over It"    3:45
3. "C'Mon Baby"    4:49
4. "Baby Give Up on It"    4:16
5. "M & P"  Greenspan, Matt Didemus 4:20
6. "No One's Business"  Greenspan, Didemus 2:41
7. "What You Won't Do for Love"  Alfons Kettner, Bobby Caldwell 5:04
8. "And It's Forever"  Greenspan, Didemus 5:35
9. "Baby Don't Hurt Me"    2:00
10. "Love Is a Fire"  Greenspan, Didemus 5:09
11. "Big Black Coat"  Greenspan, Didemus 7:12
Total length:
 49:40

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Junior Boys – “Big Black Coat”". Stereogum. 2015-10-22. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  2. 1 2 "Junior Boys Return With New Album Big Black Coat, Share Title Track | News". Pitchfork. 2015-10-22. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  3. 1 2 3 "Junior Boys return with first album in five years, Big Black Coat". Factmag.com. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  4. ↑ Alasdair King View Profile. "Canadian Winters: Jeremy Greenspan Of Junior Boys Talks". The Ransom Note. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  5. ↑ Boys, Junior (2016-01-27). "Review: Junior Boys, 'Big Black Coat'". NPR. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  6. ↑ Custom_Concerns (2016-02-03). "Reviews for Big Black Coat by Junior Boys". Metacritic. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  7. ↑ AllMusic Review by Andy Kellman. "Big Black Coat - Junior Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  8. 1 2 Suarez, Gary (2016-02-02). "Junior Boys – Big Black Coat | Album Reviews". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  9. 1 2 Sylvester, Daniel (2016-02-03). "Junior Boys Big Black Coat". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  10. ↑ Lanre Bakare (1970-01-01). "Junior Boys: Big Black Coat review – Ontario electro duo's energetic return | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  11. ↑ L & Q
  12. ↑ "Junior Boys - Albums". Mixmag. 2016-01-06. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  13. ↑ White, Chris. "Junior Boys – Big Black Coat | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  14. ↑ NOW
  15. ↑ "Junior Boys: Big Black Coat | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  16. ↑ SC
  17. ↑ "Junior Boys - Albums". Mixmag. 2016-01-06. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
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