Justice - 'Woman'

6/10

When Justice first broke onto the scene with their debut album 'Cross', much of their appeal was in the high-powered, glitching electronics running rampant throughout it. Energy and power were the keywords of that release, so when they returned with a less aggressive sophomore album 'Audio. Video. Disco.' in 2011, it was received as a mixed affair. Some loved it but others were hoping for more of the same from the French duo. But with their third record, 'Woman' is looking to walk that fine line between traditional Justice and a nod to classic influences.

While their second album saw them sample and take inspiration from the classic rock scene, 'Woman' is very much an album paying homage to the Studio 54 disco era. Not necessarily full of dancefloor hits, but more focused on the soulful side to the sound. With the Giorgio Mododer-esque track 'Alakazam!' and funk-laden 'Pleasure' juxtaposed with additions like 'Heavy Metal', which is itself a huge callback to their first album, 'Woman' probably stands as their most eclectic release to date.

Yet for all its diverse nature, it does have really trouble in giving itself an identity. With such variety on the record, it never really finds its pace and just comes across as a collection of ideas thrown together under one name. Some great highlights throughout this release, but don't really work very well together.

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