In many ways this album falls right in with so many of the trends right now in pop music. This sound is similar in many ways to the sound of people like Lorde, Lana Del Ray, like Lykke Li, and others. I've talked about this before and it's not a bad thing. In many ways it harkens back to a time in the mid 90's when female artists were doing some interesting experimental stuff with pop music. JJ is a Swedish duo who are best known for creating atmospheric, post pop sounding music. Where Lykke Li is all about melodies, that is not necessarily the central focus of JJ who often get wrapped up in the more experimental components of this sound. It is an album that has grown on me as I've listened to it, but I'm not sure I'll be coming back to it, I guess we'll see how the year plays out.
One thing I do like is how they have incorporated some Eastern influences into their sound which is a bit of a fresh take.
This is the kind of album you want to throw on when you are taking a lone drive at night or walking around a city at night. It is very moody and for the most part works. There is one odd thing on this album. The final track almost sounds like it comes from a completely different album. I actually like the song which sounds inspired by Exile in Guyville, but I'm not really sure it works on this album.
Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out of 5 stars for Not Bad.
If it hasn't happened already, Rolling Stone or some other big entertainment outlet is going to come out with a list of the top albums of all time that puts Exile in Guyville at No. 1. It wouldn't be my No. 1, and I don't know any one person who would make it their personal No. 1. But it's held in very, very high regard by most everyone our age who heard it, and a small, closed panel dominated by the post-Billy Ocean/pre-Radiohead will one day settle on it as the compromise/consensus choice for No. 1.
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