The incongruous Danish duo of Jesper Mortensen (“Junior”) and Jeppe Laursen (“Senior”) is bringing some fun back to music. Their debut album, D-D-Don’t Don’t Stop the Beat, is a boisterous testament to their humorous attitude. Clocking in at half an hour, it encompasses the energy and abandon of a street carnival in an intense, punchy package.
Junior Senior will have you exuberantly singing along to stupidly simplistic refrains such as “We’ve got a rock, rock, rock, that’s rockin’ the house” on “Rhythm Bandits,” which also incorporates the swirling loops of a Chemical Brothers-style riff. “Move Your Feet,” with its danceable Miami Sound Machine synthesizers, will get you clapping in time. The duo can get poppy, especially when its confections are rolled into a punky new-wave coating. Just don’t overdo it with too many listens. Indulging on occasion is best for freshness, or for an aural reprieve when other artists are outdoing themselves with seriousness.
This article appears in Aug 13-19, 2003.