LCD Soundsystem - 'LCD Soundsystem' (DFA / EMI)
4/5
By: Joshua K
Hallo, spaceboys (and girls). Let us begin with a bit of fantasy. Imagine, if you will, the meeting between dumbstruck record label MD and hapless A&R dude if LCD Soundsystem mainman James Murphy weren't already part of innovative punk-funk production duo The DFA:
DRLMD: 'So, this is a dance record from a chubby, 30-something, former punk drummer...'
HA&RD: 'From New Jersey.'
DRLMD: 'Er, right... From New Jersey.'
HA&RD: 'And it isn't just beats. It flat out ROCKS, too.'
DRLMD: 'I see. Look, Nigel, I'm sorry. Perhaps I wasn't clear. I have no time to listen to an album from the dance-rock Bon Jovi. I thought I told you to find me the next Coldplay.'
Thankfully, for all involved, Murphy's reputation as the man behind The Rapture, Black Dice, and his own masterful 'Losing My Edge' single - kindly included here on a bonus disc with other early LCD tracks - precedes him. More than two years on, 'Losing My Edge' remains a cynical, sarcastic masterstroke: a wry piss on pop culture and musical snobbery, ironically tied to beats that remain head and shoulders above most comers.
Yet 'LCD Soundsystem' (the album) succeeds in vaulting past LCD (the band)'s prior finest moment by rising above the sum of the current 'music scene' to encompass everything from Daft Punk Euro-house (current single 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House') to Beatles-y pop ('Never As Tired As When I'm Waking Up'), from Prince-ly funk ('Disco Infiltrator') to Brian Eno space rock ('Great Release') in 45 minutes. Every track is quality and the 'Did he just do that?' moments are many.
In brief, this debut long-player manages to be both vastly more diverse than LCD Soundsystem's previous output and amazingly coherent at the same time - without ever sounding derivative for even a second. Credit due to Murphy's chops as both producer and musician.
Put another way: James Murphy lost his edge ages ago. Now it's time to hear the drummer get wicked.
Artists in this article: LCD Soundsystem
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