AMG Review of Dystopia [Bonus Track]

John Bush
All Music Guide

Dystopia, Midnight Juggernauts' debut album, reveals so much care and confidence that it's easy to declare this one of the best debuts in the dance community since Scissor Sisters. In a similar fashion, Midnight Juggernauts revel in uninhibited dance music with a retro flair, carefully produced and polished to a sheen. But where Scissor Sisters looked back to disco and the Bee Gees primarily, Midnight Juggernauts have a slightly different spin, taking inspiration from the Euro-disco productions of Giorgio Moroder, David Bowie's rich tenor voice, and the future-shock themes (and synth) of prime '80s synth pop, with a few Beach Boys harmonies thrown into the mix. They're easily capable of glittering disco with the slinky basslines to match, but they also deliver starburst electronica that's as mature and elegant as Air. Their songwriting and vocals are actually better than Air, closer to Scissor Sisters again in their ability to write great pop songs and deliver them with flair. Few bands sound so confident with their sound and clear in their intentions even after several albums, and very few are capable of making a record this good. [This edition of the album features the "Turkish Prison Remix" of "Dystopia" as a bonus track.]