On their debut album, 2017's
Voyagers, transatlantic duo
Djustin dive deep into their icy, atmospheric, synth-based sound. Showcasing the talents of Swedish producer/pop polymath Johan Angergård (
Acid House Kings,
the Legends) and singer/lyricist Rose Suau (Shoestrings, Invisible Twin),
Djustin make a grayscale brand of synth pop that brings to mind the '70s and '80s work of
Giorgio Moroder, as well as the similarly inclined electronic Krautrock of
Kraftwerk and
Tangerine Dream. It's a sound that picks up where Angergård left off with his 2017 album with
the Legends,
Nightshift. However, where that album found Angergård exploring the more R&B end of retro synth pop, with
Djustin, he and Suau largely eschew any subtle funk (although there are hints of that here, too) in favor of a mono-present digital pulse and yearning emotionality. It's a stylish, streamlined approach, like a more downtempo take on
Debbie Harry's work with
Moroder in the '80s, as well as the similarly influenced work of contemporary artists like
Goldfrapp and
Little Boots. There's also a library soundtrack aesthetic to many of the song titles, with cuts like "Dancing," "Waiting," and "Birthday" promising activity-based atmosphere; only the latter undermines expectations with Suau striking a tone of poignant, ironic melancholy. Elsewhere, cuts like sad-eyed "Advance" and the whipcrack-steady "Shift," offer their own tantalizing groove eroticism. ~ Matt Collar