Artist

JJULIUS

Last updated: 2 days ago

JJULIUS’ Vol. 3 album is a big step forward, out of the murky basement of the preceding two volumes. There’s no time to acclimate - a spindly violin grabs you by the hand and pulls you into the bounce of “Brinna ut,” which, in spite of its meaning (“Burn out”), creates the kind of blind positivity and warm stomach feeling less cynical people might find in self-help seminars. For us, we have records like this, and Vol. 3 has charm like a balm.

JJULIUS records have always arrived like meteors from another planet. And while Vols. 1 and 2 carried that notable tinge of darkness, Vol. 3 has almost cast that shadow, adding elements of disco (“Dödsdisco”) and dream-pop (“Etopisk hallucination”) to forever favorites Arthur Russell, African Head Charge, and The Fall.

Some of that new car smell could be attributed to a change in process. Each song was written over beats played by Tor Sjödén of the wild-eyed Stockholm group Viagra Boys, beats that were themselves inspired by tracks from the likes of Patrick Cowley, CAN, Count Ossie, Black Devil Disco Club and others that Julius would send to him as inspiration.

Unless you're Mark E. Smith, fervor fades. Eventually we all crave a lie down in some nice grass, a few minutes to gaze at the sky and wonder if everything is actually all that bad. Vol. 3 gives you 35 of those respiting minutes. “No looking back, no misery, no talking trash, no enemies.”

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