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If you’re wondering what electronic music is missing, look no further: Scars should serve as a reminder (if you needed one) that Basement Jaxx are an essential piece of the puzzle.
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An entire album as powerful and immediate as Scars sounds enticing in theory, but Basement Jaxx knows better than turning a single, creative sound into a stale, contrite formula, especially when an unprecedented amount of talent is at their beck and call.
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There's a breathtaking array of bleeps, quirks, bits and bobs popping up to keep the boogie busy and the mind attentive.
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Scars is the strongest Basement Jaxx album since 2001's "Rooty".
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By closing the song with unadorned strings, Basement Jaxx seems to be finding feeling in its new efficiency.
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While a Basement Jaxx album used to feel like a below-the-radar party for real heads, Scars could easily soundtrack a celebrity bash. That’s not the Jaxx’s fault, of course, though capitulation suits them.
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This is evidence of true artistic growth, but these successes share space on Scars with creative cul-de-sacs and uninspired genre exercise.
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Scars is a worthwhile throwback to the freak attitude that kicked off their career over a decade earlier.
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They’ve come pretty darn close before, and they may very well do so in the future, but with Scars, the Jaxx have gotten too caught up in trying top themselves.
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If Basement Jaxx want to hide their scars behind such easily enjoyable and well constructed pop music, then long may they continue.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 16 out of 20
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Mixed: 3 out of 20
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Negative: 1 out of 20
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Dec 7, 2010
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Nov 18, 2010