More than anything else, French electronic duo Justice is a band that understands its place in the music scene: unabashed Daft Punk parroters, expounders of bygone rave culture enthusiasm, sexy remix producers whose primary obligation is to the dance floor. The tidal wave of hype generated by their contractual bedfellows over at Vice has meant high profile placements on MySpace (88,000 friends and climbing), remix opportunities for a head-scratching range of artists (Britney Spears and Franz Ferdinand? Touché!), and the ubiquitous slimy buzz factor in music magazines and online publications. ‘Advantages’ like these are generally anything but, frequently metastasizing into a ready-made backlash when the moment is ripe.

Still, as enamored with themselves as the duo is happy to appear, their debut release † is seldom disappointing and perfectly designed for half-drunk, excitable crowds already bored with the last LCD Soundsystem record. Justice’s comfort with their audience is evident throughout the 49 minutes as the record plays more like a DJ set than a proper album. While it would be difficult to argue that Justice make anything more substantial than disposable dance music, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay likely aspire toward nothing beyond that. Moreover, when they are at their finest on tracks like “Phantom, Pt. I” there is nothing left to be desired. Sure, you may not listen to this at home unless you’re in the midst of a manic cleaning frenzy, but it’s tough to imagine not rocking your shoulders to it in a dimly lit bar.

Without a doubt, the anthem here is “D.A.N.C.E.”, an unironic and unrepentant collage of popular and underground sounds from the past thirty years. A springy house bassline underscores disco string flourishes and the type of muted ’80s guitar work fellow Frenchmen Phoenix resuscitated for their first few records. One of the main reasons “D.A.N.C.E.” leaps out from the pack is its usage of vocal samples throughout, coaxing the listener to simply “do the dance.” The juxtaposition works pefectly, the group vocals recalling the sweetness of Michael Jackson’s early work both figuratively and literally (the vocalists refer to the subject of the song as being a “P.Y.T.”, the “pretty young thing” of MJ’s 1982 single).

For most listeners, however, this single is really the only track worth owning. The same quality that makes their music so conducive to club play is the same trait that makes it tough to listen to consistently. Some songs, like the schizophrenic “Let There Be Light,” are repetitive to the point of mindlessness, while others like the pre-release single “Waters of Nazareth” find the pair losing control of the distorted/delicate balance that makes their best songs so stellar. While there is no way of knowing, my guess is that as long as they make you move when you’re out carousing with your friends Justice would consider their work to be done, and done well.

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