“If I forgot the lines, is it easy enough to fake it?”

I confess that the above lyrics, from opening track Parallel Lines, is also how I felt about writing this review. How can I expand on good. It’s a good album. I enjoyed it. I wasn’t blown away but it put a smile on my mouth, and I found myself listening to it multiple times over in a sitting. It’s delicate in the right places and Jeremy Greenspan’s voice is calming.

Junior Boys don’t try to disguise their technique but they do allow themselves to pull back a little so the subtle elements are allowed to shine. Not simple, but simply arranged. Begone Dull Care is a therefore a careful third album with an 8-track limit. The title was inspired by a short film from Canadian Animator Norman McLaren who apparently had a similar style of methodical artistry in the development of his films. I’m assuming that Animator is essentially a tribute to McLaren; the piano contrasts nicely with the fuzzy deep beeps and perky tweaks (not nearly as dramatic as it may sound).

A lot of fuss was made over their track Hazel, the first single released from the album, but I’m not sure why. Personally, Parallel Lines stood much further out from the rest. In fact from track five onwards there’s an element of ‘serenading the listener’ that almost bothers me, especially with the use of the sax at times.

Bits and Pieces is a good example of how to be typically electronic and yet unique at the same time. If the second half of this album is wearing thin, I recommend going back to this track to snap you out of the sentimentality of the vocals. It’s more fun and a little bit more masculine than the later tracks. Having said that Dull To Pause just ends up taking you back into a “morning has broken” type of existence. I’m not saying it’s not worthy of getting lost in and in fact I credit the boys for maintaining this level of subtlety in such an electro-clashy world. Peaches could probably use a lesson.

So Begone Dull Care! And hello to delicate electronica.