(One of many true classics from LCD Soundsystem)
Also, be forewarned, every track on the album is stylized in lowercase letters and I decided to go with that as well. However, it's really sort of annoying.
This album starts off with the very mechanical sounding “oh baby”, and that's pretty much to be expected. It’s also a very patient sound, which is also very much to be expected. But LCD Soundsystem’s tracks always end up paying off. But man, this is just so sluggish and exhausted sounding. Listening to this, I feel like this is just the scraps of what could have possibly been a totally viable LCD Soundsystem track years ago. Even James Murphy sounds physically exhausted. But I think what’s most confusing are these instrumentals. People seem to think that this is just the same old LCD Soundsystem, but with these instrumentals that clearly is far from the case. Their music to me was once so punchy, and while it wasn’t always instantaneous, it always got somewhere. But on “oh baby”, the Dance Punk hooks are completely gone, and in their place are a series of woozy and lazy synth pop melodies, and they go nowhere. Maybe I’m missing something, but I’m not feeling this at all as an intro. Even James’s very tender performance is just something I’m not into. This change of pace is just a little too much for me. Thankfully, “other voices” is next, and it’s good enough to pick up the pieces and get this one really going back on track. The groove here is thick and strong, with plenty of wonderful blips and bloops thrown in for good measure. Honestly, though, this at least sounds like LCD Soundsystem. Not to mention, James’s performance here is right back to where it should be. Just like he did years ago, he sounds fueled by emotion once again and has a real sense of paranoia to his performance that made his early recordings so well done. Of all the tracks on this album, I feel like “other voices” makes me want to move around the most. It also has that sort of rebellious feel that LCD Soundsystem ruled the dance floors with. It’s also patience testing but in the best way. This one starts building as soon as it starts, which is fine, but it’s constantly building and getting more and more intense and groovy. Hell, it get’s so funky that I couldn’t say no if I wanted to. So LCD Soundsystem clearly still have it when they try hard enough. Not to mention, I’ve always been sort of a sucker for Nancy’s usual very hypnotic and monotonous passages. Then we have “i used to”, which once again shows LCD building right off the bat. I love how dense this track comes off, with such heavy production as well. Not to mention, this may very well be the darkest and most somber tune I’ve heard from LCD Soundsystem period. To be honest, this actually comes off sounding like something out of an early 80’s dreary Post Punk album. Once again, James sounds so worn out and exhausted. But on “i used to”, it comes off much more wonderfully executed. Plus, those searing synths that come in go right through me in the best possible way, and give me the chills every time. I mean, if they're really going to go with this much slower, and much more Synth-Pop oriented sound, this is absolutely the way to do it. And I certainly really enjoy the very vast and starry atmosphere, as well as James’s strangely heartfelt performance. While I certainly do miss some of the killer grooves, this one really isn’t terrible. Up next is ‘change yr mind”, and instantly the sheer noisiness and edginess to this one certainly wakes me right up. I also really dig the very off kilter groove to this. James’s vocals on this one seem ripped right out of the past on this one to be honest, especially with how paranoid he sounds. But for me, I really don’t know how to feel about this one. I feel like the payoff on this one just really isn’t up to LCD Soundsystem standards. The band’s music has always been a journey of sorts, one that can easily take 7-8 minutes. And that’s totally fine. The problem is, “change yr mind” doesn’t end up going anywhere, or at least anywhere that I’m interested in going on. The only real release we get on this track is more and more of these squawking guitars and abrasive production. Over three and a half minutes in, when James mixes things up and comes out of his shell a little, it’s certainly better. But why the hell did this tag so long to get even slightly interesting? And are the results even worth it? Those happened to be basically my thoughts on the album as well.
This album continues on with the strangely dramatic “ho do you sleep?”. Once again, I feel like we’re in the darkest and deepest corners of some early Joy Division. But to be honest, it does actually have me on the edge of my seat. Between the very tension heavy drums and the very glamorous synths flying through the background, there’s a LOT to take in. Then we have James Murphy’s over-the-top vocals. They actually end up being some of his most ridiculously emotional here. Not to mention, as far as the atmosphere goes, this may just be the most engaging track on the album. But I really have to once again give you all a big warning. These aren’t tracks to just sort of pop on, these are tracks you need to sit with. But “how do you sleep?” is done so well, because the second those muscular synths blare in it’s like a damn fog horn blasting through a quiet night. The result’s are absolutely chilling. Not to mention, 5 minutes in this track completely changes gears and comes off as a sort of groovy and mellow dance punk track. It’s honestly one of the finest moments on here, and brings me back to the simpler days of LCD Soundsystem if only for a few minutes. It’s a tough listen clocking in at 9 minutes, but it does pay off. As this album rolls on, it’s moments like “tonite” that keep me invested. This literally sounds like a gem out of one of LCD Soundsystem’s better albums. The groove is strong, and the icy production and voice box vocals are really nice additions. From start to finish, “tonite” is just so totally LCD Soundsystem. There’s also plenty of that sort of tongue-in-cheek humor that’s only made stronger by James’s very robotic yet sleek delivery. But here’s my issue. I do feel like to an extent, James is trying a little too hard. His rebellious nature and his statements used to come off so easily, to the point where it came off like her didn’t even mean for his messages to be in his music. On “tonite” though and on most of this album, it really seems like James’s usually very straightforward songwriting is no longer, and a lot of these tracks you can tell didn’t come to James as easily. Outside of that though, I still think “tonite” is still a really great tune that I love. Now, when I first heard “call the police” I really didn’t know what to think. And to an extent I still really don’t know what to think. This track is far from the icy grooves and good times of LCD Soundsystem. This is glistening myth pop at it cleanest, and in every aspect it really doesn’t sound a thing like LCD Soundsystem. To be honest though, for a straight up Indie-Tronica track, this really isn’t the absolute worst thing LCD Soundsystem could have put together. I do love the driving beat and the very triumphant sound to this all. You just really need to go into this one with an open mind, especially with LCD Soundsystem’s classic sound in mind. The guitar’s however are epic, James’s performance is certainly emotional as well. But let me say this about “call the police”; this track took me months to enjoy, and I’m still not completely sold on it. And I’m even less sold on this album’s title track, “american dream”. I don’t say this often, but I feel like this is seriously a pile of crap. I certainly can appreciate the dreary tone and just how glistening some of these instrumentals are. Even lyrically, I love the very grim outlook this track has to off and the sort of tongue in cheek feel to this. But that really doesn’t help just how entirely boring this instrumental is. To me, the LCD Soundsystem sound has always been based around growing tension and grooves. “american dream” just sort of has a flat groove that I really can’t wrap my head around. I do want to give this track some credit however, because I do see what James Murphy was going for here, and I think lyrically he does nail it. But outside of that, I’m finding it really rough staying awake for this one.
Out of nowhere though, LCD Soundsystem brings in “emotional haircut”, and I’m honestly shocked to hear this much grit. There are some legitimate Post-Punk influences on this and I’m just so happy to hear it, and honestly, I can’t remember the last time I heard such an instrumental like this from LCD. Not only that, it’s just seriously down and dirty sounding, even James sounds so much more youthful in his performance. “emotional haircut” from start to finish has a surprising amount of intensity, and is just the sort of edge I needed to hear a little bit of. Not to mention, the rebellious vibe that James has been preaching this entire album comes off so much better here. And out of nowhere, the last minute of this one is completely Punk influenced and is seriously intense. Moments like this, however, just really make me miss what could have been on this album. This album ends off with “black screen”, and I do have to admit, I love the very grimy, dirty and most importantly dark tinge to this. This, however, is some of the most mellow material we’ve heard here yet. This entire album has been so cold, and this finale is no different. And to an extent, I do think a lot of “black screen” is interesting. But I really have no interest in Jame’s performance here, which is just so lifeless and lazy. And while I understand that it has to do with the themes of the album, there really has to be a better way to display it. This finale ends up becoming ridiculously laborious to listen to and is just so damn dreary. But like I said, I certainly like elements to it, like the very claustrophobic atmosphere. But really James? Did this track have to be 12 minutes? Really?
Rating: 7.2/10
Give A Listen To: "other voices", "i used to", "how do you sleep?", "tonite"
Genre: Synth Pop / Indie-Tronica / Dance Punk
If you dig this, check out : LCD Soundystem - "LCD Soundsystem", M83 - "Weekends = Youth"
Overall Thoughts: Ok so I may lose some credibility here, but I have to call it like I see it. All I see are these rave reviews for this album, and cries of LCD Soundsystem being "back". I don't know about you, but I really don't see it that way. The songwriting here isn't nearly as strong, even though due to the subject matter you really think it would be. The grooves show up and the Dance Punk spirit as well, but it's not nearly as lovable and easy to take in as it once was. It's a decent album, but LCD Soundsystem are so much more than "decent' in my book.
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