The Juan MacLean
The Brighter the Light
Release Date: Sep 20, 2019
Genre(s): Electronic, House, Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Dance, Left-Field House
Record label: DFA
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Album Review: The Brighter the Light by The Juan MacLean
Very Good, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 3.5
Any long-term DFA disciples out there will know just how far John Maclean has come as an artist in the last 15 years. From the compelling, slightly reclusive electro of the superb Less Than Human debut in 2005, he has gradually emerged from his shell to join the disco party, making certifiable house bangers in the company of Nancy Whang, an essential element of The Juan Maclean. Together they have created a musical bond notable for its effortless chemistry, and with songs such as Happy House and The Simple Life, they have ensured many a house dancefloor carries their music with pride.
Based on rating 6.3/10
Variety is the spice of the Juan MacLean. Like label co-founder James Murphy, this core DFA act--comprising frontwoman and LCD Soundsystem alum Nancy Whang and Six Finger Satellite guitarist turned synth wizard John MacLean--has historically taken a magpie approach to dance and electronic sounds. That's how a Heaven 17 pastiche like The Future Will Come's 2009 title track can accompany a piano-house banger like "Happy Home," or how the New Order-esque "Love Stops Here" can share real estate on 2014's In a Dream with "Charlotte," a song that sounds more like Beaucoup Fish-era Underworld than anything Underworld have recorded since.
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