release date: May 18, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,24]
producer: The DFA [ aka Tim Goldsworthy & James Murphy]
label: DFA Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Dance Yrself Clean" - 2. "Drunk Girls" - 5. "I Can Change" (live) - 6. "You Wanted a Hit" (live)
3rd studio album by LCD Soundsystem follows a well-known formula with Goldsworthy and Murphy of the band in the producer seat and with Murphy both as the most extensively credited members as well composer of most tracks. According to the credit list the band has been reduced to a quintet, but in essence it's more obvious that it has become a one-man project band as the other four members are reduced to appearances on one track [!]. Pat Mahoney, Nancy Whang and Tyler Pope are credited for drums, vocals and bass on track #7, whereas Philip Mossman simply isn't credited for any contributions. Eric Broucek and Mandy Coon seem out of the [project] band and also co-founding member and co-producer Tim Goldsworthy is only credited for his producer part. So in essence, LCD Soundsystem is James Murphy.
The style is very close to that of the predecessor, and that's both good and bad as all the influences the band play on are so wide-ranged that it's hard to just copy but that's nevertheless what comes out as: a close to a copy of Sound of Silver. The album is a mix of tracks that play on either rock- and dance punk-influences, indietronica and old-school synth pop and what could be labelled new wave.
The album was met by positive reviews and became the band's so far best selling album reaching number #10 in the US (number #1 on the Top Dance / Electronic Albums list), number #7 in the UK and #11 in Australia.
It's really not bad at all, but I don't think that it adds much new to the repertoire, and what seems "worse" is the absence of strong hit-songs. It sounds to me as an attempt to make another album they've already produced. "Dance Yrself Clean" and "I Can Change" are clearly the album's best tracks. "Drunk Girls" is a fine up-tempo track but sounds much like an Undertones replica, "All I Want" sounds too close to an indietronica version of Bowie's " 'Heroes' ", "You Wanted a Hit" starts off like a Sakamoto rip-off (but then luckily winds up on its own), and the remaining tracks sort of vanish in anonymity, imho, which ultimately makes it a bit of a bland experience.
Shortly after the album release James Murphy apparently had announced that it would probably be the last album by LCD Soundsystem, although, he later that year is said to have suggested that the band may continue as a project-band - but without being a big thing.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, NME, Spin, Rolling Stone 4 / 5,
