Released - 5/18/10
Label - DFA LLC
BLURB - Being that this is my first venture into the world of LCD Soundsystem, I was a little skeptical. I know the hipsters love LCD, but the hipsters also love The National. I knew I would be slightly pre-conditioned to like this album though, do to the fact at his core, James Murphy is more of a weird-synth, dance guy. Essentially, "This is Happening" is a great success. It's fun, it's danceable, it's filled with waves of synth loops and weird lyrics that ironically make for a great summer album. The only downfall would be some of the tangents the record veers of into, often focusing in on spoken word vocals that sound like something from a bad Adam Green / 3OH!3 collaboration. But in it's entirety, the album does live up to it's potential and is definitely something worth checking out.
Rating - 9 out of 10
FULL STORY - "This is Happening" opens up with 'Dance Yrslf Clean,' and a slow and varied collection of beats and percussion, maybe even some pots and pans. The first portion actually sounds like it was recorded on a four-track in Murphy's kitchen. The feel is very laid back and lo-fi as synth riffs fill the gaps between Murphy's simplistic and youthful lyrics:
"Talking like a jerk, except you are an actual jerk and living proof that sometimes friends are mean."
Clocking in around nine minutes long, the song does an admirable job at establishing a narcissistic, slow loner vibe in the beginning only to completely blow the roof off as the pace and energy blast off around the three minute mark. Heavy, heavy synth and bass lines explode out of the speakers from here on out as Murphy's energy and confidence come to the foreground transforming the track into an entirely new animal.
I guess you could say 'Drunk Girls' is the single as it's had a ton of buzz through all the blogs and viral sites. This is the obligatory track that had to be on the album. It's a bit too gimmicky for my taste. The entire song is a bouncy party track that just spits out throwaway quips and lyrics about both sexes and their lowered inhibitions. For example, Murphy gives us the gems, "Drunk girls like to file complaints," and "Drunk girls wait an hour to pee." Nonetheless, it's too catchy for people not to like it.
The third track, 'One Touch' comes off as very futuristic with it's spacey intro. As different hooks and lines of synthesizers float through the snare hits, Murphy sings (talks) in a lower register as he is echoed by a chorus of children. The song stays fairly static but in this case it's ok - the vibe that has been established is so cool that you won't care that it doesn't go anywhere. The feel is also fairly retro and sounds like something that Thomas Dolby or Devo would have constructed.
'I Can Change' keeps the whole 80's cocaine party atmosphere alive, but is done to a much slower pace. It almost feels like a creepy slow dance song if you listen closely enough. This track puts Murphy in a fairly vulnerable position as he opens himself up as he dives into his helpless habits with love, giving the song substance on an album otherwise filled with arrogance and selfishness.
"And love is a murderer, love is a murderer. But if she calls you tonight everything is alright. Yeah, we know - and love is a curse shoved in a hearse. Love is an open book to a verse of your bad poetry, and this is coming from me. But I can change...if it helps you fall in love."
'Pow Pow' brings back the arrogance and swagger that is synonymous with LCD Soundsystem. Murphy more or less reads lines of a monologue over a 70's disco beat. You'd think it would get tired or monotonous but it doesn't. The track is incredibly fun, yet equally weird - which is probably what draws you in and keeps you listening. That, and he keeps saying, "Pow, Pow, Pow, Pow." This is where some of the Adam Green references can be drawn - as Murphy just throws out weird lines that border absurd and brilliant.
"On this occasion, there are a couple of things that we know that we learned from fact magazine. One, the king wears a king hat and lives in a king house. Two, your time will come, but tonight is our night, so you should give us all of your drugs. Three, we have a black president and you do not, so shut up - because you don't know shit about where I'm from that you didn't get from your TV."
So as you can see, one of the main gripes with this album could be that it's a bit wordy and kind of out there. Personally, I think the way in which the music and lyrics are presented is done in such an entertaining way that it doesn't take to much away from the record as a whole. It's a fun collection of tracks that have dance beats, synths and keyboards that are flooded with waves of arrogant, err, cleverly confident lyrics that while absurd, remain fun and light-hearted. This should be one of the better summer albums of the year along with Delorean's "Subiza." I definitely recommend checking out "This is Happening," just know what you're stepping into though as the average song length is about seven minutes long.
Tracks
1.) Dance Yrself Clean
2.) Drunk Girls
3.) One Touch
4.) All I Want
5.) I Can Change
6.) You Wanted a Hit
7.) Pow Pow
8.) Somebody's Calling Me
9.) Home
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