Justice

When Justice first unleashed their debut single “Waters of Nazareth” nearly 20 years ago, their grimy, black-leather blend of heavy metal imagery, French filter disco, and 70s gothic soundtrack psychedelia was unlike anything else. Even after storming the charts with their crossover hit “D.A.N.C.E.,” winning two Grammys, and influencing some of the biggest artists on the planet, the duo of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay never assimilated into the pop world, focusing instead on blazing a path of uncompromising and occasionally esoteric experimentation that has made them outliers in an ever more risk-averse industry.

But times–and listeners–have changed. “Indie sleaze” is having a revival, bringing a new generation to the duo’s early, era-defining hits, genre barriers have vanished, and dance music lovers have begun to look for something more satisfying than mass-produced pop-EDM or jackhammer techno. The world has finally caught up to Justice, and they’re ready for it with the most fully realized album of their career.

 Hyperdrama, the band’s fourth LP, is classic Justice from the jump. The lead track “Neverender” aims for widescreen transcendence with filtered disco drums, stuttering synths, and a euphoric hook—sung by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker—spiked with a hint of melancholy ache.