French electro duo Justice had one of the strongest debuts of the last decade with their album Cross. Its diversity and strength launched them on an international tour that lasted months. The album was propelled in no small part due to the Michael Jackson-referencing track "D.A.N.C.E" that had some people thinking of Justice as a one-hit wonder. It wasn't long, however, before Gaspard and Xavier headed back to the studio to try to capture a new brand of magic.

From there, fans waited. While the four years between Cross and this year's Audio, Video, Disco was made slightly easier by the 2008 release of the live album/tour documentary A Cross The Universe, it still felt like an eternity to many fans. But having now spent some time with the record, I can say it's been worth the wait.

The one thing you need to do when picking up Justice's new record Audio, Video, Disco is to set aside your expectations. You may have had hopes for what this record would sound like (I was pulling for another strong track like "Genesis"), but prepare to be surprised. What the duo delivered is less of a nighttime dance record, and more of an open-air, composition-oriented work. There are bits that are pulled from '70s classic rock, bits of prog, and, yes, even a touch of disco. It's a complex record that might not grab you on first listen, but it pays off the more you hear it, and that makes it Character Approved.

[Image: Hypetrak]