LCD Soundsystem’s third album is what’s happening
LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening
Release Date: May 17, 2010
Length: 65:31
Genre: Electronic/Dance
Label: DFA
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The compliments I can pay to LCD Soundsystem’s “This is Happening” are bountiful, but they all boil down to one thing: If you don’t find your head bobbing at least once while listening to it, then check your pulse.
Murphy is an active DJ in the New York music scene. Along with British producer Tim Goldsworthy he makes up DFA, a record label and production team that has produced albums by bands such as The Rapture and Radio 4. As time went on, Murphy also began releasing singles under the LCD Soundsystem moniker. Three albums later, here we are.
Every previous LCD Soundsystem release has received almost universal critical acclaim, and this most recent one is no exception. First came 2005’s “LCD Soundsystem.” It was made up of two discs — one compiling all of the singles released up to that point and the other comprised of entirely new material. Next came 2007’s “Sound of Silver,” and finally, we have 2010′s “This Is Happening.” What exactly is happening, I don’t know. But what I do know is that it’s awesome.
According to LCD Soundsystem’s biography at RollingStone, Murphy says this will be the last LCD Soundsystem release. I hope, for all of our sakes, that this does not end up happening. But if it is the last we see of Murphy as LCD Soundsystem, then this album was one heck of a way to go out with a bang.
“This Is Happening,” like “Sound of Silver,” has only nine tracks. That may seem like a ripoff, but given the fact that seven of the nine tracks clock in at over six minutes — one is even 9:06 — it balances out.
But lengthy songs can be a bit overwhelming. If they don’t vary or stay interesting musically, they can provide a lot of “Is this over yet?” moments.
Long songs need to feel like they are taking you somewhere or that something is being built up to. None of the songs on this album feel long; they feel like they’re going somewhere. Take the album’s opener “Dance Yrself Clean.” In the first three minutes, you know something big is coming. Sure enough, a beat with a deep synth drops around the 3:06 mark. Then, at the end, it loops back around to the simple feel of the beginning — just Murphy’s voice with some single tones and percussion. Very tastefully done, indeed. I appreciate being able to tell when an artist values my full attention for an entire song. I can tell that James Murphy cared deeply about that with every song on this album.
The song “I Can Change” is just plain fun. There are all sorts of interesting video game-esque sound effects, the beat is a perfect mixture between laid back and hammering, and the chord progression is simplicity at its best. Well, it really isn’t a chord progression at all but rather the same two root notes alternating back and forth for the entire song. Like I said, simple but great.
I think one of the main reasons the music of LCD Soundsystem appeals to me is because of its melting pot of electronica, dance and rock mixed with Murphy’s quirky lyrics. And believe me, the lyrics do not disappoint on “This Is Happening.” The song “Pow Pow” stands out not only because it has an awesome beat, but because Murphy literally just plays off of the phrase, “From this position…” for the entire song. Two of my favorite examples are “From this position, I totally get how the decision was reached,” and “From this position, I feel affinity for both of them, which is confusing.” I really have no idea what he’s getting at or what meaning he is driving for, but it doesn’t matter because it’s random and appealing regardless.
The final track of the album, “Home,” feels like a sequel to “Dance Yrself Clean.” The overtones and chord progression feel the same and the vocal drawl that is interspersed throughout is almost identical to the one used in the album’s opener. I love this idea as a way to end an album. It helps with the cohesiveness of the experience. It’s like we’re getting closure, as if we’re coming full circle.
I’m not a good dancer by any means, and you would almost never see me in a club of any sort. But if, by some freak occurrence, I were in a club and any of the songs from this record came on, I would be the first on the dance floor.
It would indeed be a shame if this were the last we heard from LCD Soundsystem. But it’s a safe bet to assume that “This Is Happening” will crop up again on several Best of 2010 lists, and I’d even go so far as to say we’ll hear of it again in several years on some Best of the Decade lists.
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