Junior Boys- First Time

The time has passed.

While Junior Boys are technically an electronica act, in their hearts they’re a pop group in the tradition of ABC and the Pet Shop Boys. The Canadian duo strike this delicate balance to great effect on So This Is Goodbye, their second full-length album.

Songs like "First Time" and "Count Souvenirs" could be mistaken for classic MTV favorites from the ‘80s. And the desperate "When No One Cares" rivals the work of acclaimed songwriter Stephin Merritt, although his work with Magnetic Fields has never enjoyed such effective production. Junior Boys’ sparse, forward-thinking aesthetic gives their music plenty of room to breathe.

Kansas Citians will have an opportunity to decide whether Junior Boys are a retro pop act or electronica innovators when the duo performs at The Record Bar Tuesday night.