One-trick pony
I could write this review pretty fast.
To get a sense of Junior Senior’s D-D-Don’t Stop That Beat, listen to the first track on repeat 11 times.
Hell, you could just listen to the first track and stop right there.
Sure, that one expository track — pick any, actually; it doesn’t quite matter — is actually a pretty interesting mash-up of party rock and disco samples. And yes, that Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics sticker on the cover is very well earned.
But after a while, D-D-Don’t Stop That Beat becomes a blur, kind of like the chemical-induced party atmosphere such albums are intended to foster.
Even the B-52’s knew when to mix it up a bit.
“White Trash” comes pretty close, indulging in a garage rock sludge closer to MC5. But it comes at the very end of the album, too late to do the rest of it any good.
The bonus material tacked onto the US edition of the album only serves to reinforce Junior Senior’s homogenity. In fact, the live version of “Move Your Feet” makes it clear the band’s material works best in the studio.
To its credit, Junior Senior is something of a shining beacon out there in these times of musical uncertainty. Between all the bands trying to sound like Joy Division, Television or the Stooges, it’s nice to see Fatboy Slim’s efforts have not gone totally obsolete.
And yes, D-D-Don’t Stop That Beat is a party record, which means it’s not exactly aiming for high art.
That doesn’t excuse it from being just plain annoying after a while.
This is one one-trick pony with a really quick shelf life.