Heralded by a series of unannounced DJ sets around Europe, this third Justice album might just be the sort of escapist sweat-fest party people sorely need right now. Safe and Sound, the album’s opener, comes garlanded with 70s-era violin swirls, courtesy of the London Contemporary Orchestra; throughout, vintage discoid shapes combine with the pounding of dance-rock and lashings of the aerated funk perfected in Paris in the 90s. Naturally, this mix has its cheesier iterations. The penchant for prog that marred Justice’s previous album, 2011’s Audio, Video, Disco, is not altogether excised – witness the electric harpsichord silliness of Heavy Metal. The price to pay for Woman’s increased musicality is, perhaps, a drop in beat punishment. But you can’t begrudge Justice this laudable attempt to one-up Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.
