Following a five year hiatus, James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem return with an powerfully poignant album of realisation and maturity. After returning with a number of festival performances last year, the band announced that their fourth LP American Dream would be released this September, along with an extensive American and European tour. Mixed emotions followed the announcement, with many still hurting from the ‘fake goodbye’, while others were curious to see whether the band could emulate the acclaimed trilogy of albums LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver and This is Happening.
American Dream is a complex collection of seemingly eclectic tracks which becomes more cohesive with every listen. The album is intensely familiar; still featuring their characteristic existentialism, but this time with a maturity and sincerity previously overshadowed by songs like ‘Drunk Girls’ and ‘North American Scum’.
Murphy is just as self-obsessed on American Dream, but here, he is no longer worried about ‘Losing His Edge’ – that cool persona he once obsessed over – but is instead fully aware that he has lost that superiority over others, and subsequently his need to prove it. On ‘I used to’, he reflects on the person he once was, asking ‘where’d you go/ You led me far away’ while repeating ‘I’m still trying to wake up.’ It is this awareness and interrogation of his ageing and transition which brandishes the album with maturity and wisdom.
Murphy’s neurotic composition remains, with layers of electronica fused with screeching Bowie-esque guitar (‘Change Yr Mind’), melodic bass lines reminiscent of New Order’s Power Corruption and Lies (‘Call the Police’), while the band also pay homage to Talking Heads, The Cure and Donna Summer amongst others. It is worth mentioning that while Murphy often takes the limelight, the musicianship on the album is incredibly crisp, with Al Doyle (guitar) and Nancy Whang (Keyboard/Synth), who are a highlight of their live shows, shining throughout.
No longer obsessed with proving his validity, Murphy’s true talent is allowed to shine. LCD have long been known for their ability to blur the line between electro bangers and ballads and each of the songs on American Dream is a collision of dance worthy rhythms and angsty lyrics. The tremendous ‘How Do You Sleep? is an aural overload which progressively builds from single synth chords, transforming when a heavy hitting base line drops. The song is reminiscent of ‘Dance Yourself Clean’; however where the latter features witty, jabs at society, and an uplifting motto, HDYS is its minor equivalent, signifying above any other song on the record the heavier direction LCD are currently heading.
Murphy’s lyricism remains impeccable throughout the album, which is an honest self-deprecating expression of his greatest anxieties and regrets. In ‘Tonite’, he shouts ‘you hate the idea that you’re wasting your youth but you stood in the doorway until you got older’, an obvious hint at his own late beginnings in music. In title track ‘American Dream’ he attacks the notion of an imperfect society and the pressure to pretend everything is ok. ‘Grab your keys and head to the doorway/ If you dance out no one complains/ Find the place that you can be boring/ Where you don’t have to explain’ reflecting unironically on his younger years.
2007’s Sound of Silver, featuring the mammoth ‘All My Friends’ remains one of the best albums of the last decade, and is still, in my eyes, their most complete album. However, American Dream deserves equal merit for illustrating the band’s impressive versatility. The album represents a sort of rebirth for the band, who after years of rebelling against the system and trying to be maintain their edgy ‘coolness’ have embraced a sincerity previously been hidden behind irony and Brooklynite pretensions. While many will lament the lack of instant dance floor classics such as ‘Dance Yourself Clean’ or ‘Daft Punk Is Playing at My House’, American Dream is a complex and masterful album which improves with every listen, solidifying LCD’s status as a great band who continue to maintain their integral sound, while finding new ways to express themselves, something which only the best bands can do.
A year on from their headline performance at Electric Picnic, LCD Soundsystem return to play the Olympia Theatre on 27-28 September. If you were lucky enough to get a ticket, expect a night of non-stop dancing, a wall of sound, and a dedicated performance from Murphy and Co, who really do just shut up and play the hits. All three shows sold out in seconds, so for those who were disappointed, Hangar are running an ‘LCD Soundsystem: I didn’t get a ticket party’ which will surely ease the pain a little.
Top 3: How Do You Sleep
I used to
American Dream
Rating ●●●●○
