On one hand, American Dream, the newest work by LCD Soundsystem, mimics a dogging self-revelation of the lead singer’s personal life. On the other, it is a whimsical depiction of the ever changing reality we live in. And, its utterly breathtaking.
A project started by lead singer James Murphy, the New York based band released American Dream last Friday after being away from the music industry for over 6 years. In 2011 the band had their “final” farewell tour at Madison Square Garden. Surrounded by adoring fans dressed in black and white, they soon parted ways from the music industry.
American Dream was released last Friday and marks the end of the band’s six-year hiatus from the music industry, and started as a project of lead singer John Murphy
“We’re not the Rolling Stones. We didn’t start when we were teenagers. We started when we were older. People had kids,” Murphy said to the Hollywood Reporter in 2012 when explaining why the band was breaking up.
However, American Dream has lifted the band from the grave. The 10 song album combines familiar LCD quirks and deep, pining eighties vibes with Murphy’s current outlooks on his life and the people around him.
The first song, “Oh Baby,” seems to be a play on a corny 80’s love song. It starts off with a continuous staccato piano melody that suddenly gets spliced with heavy synthetic bass. Throughout the track, it is easy to detect the pronounced eighties influences. It resembles the 1985 hits, “We Built this City” by Starship, and “Take on Me” by A-ha.
With lyrics such as “Oh but please/ Please shake me from my lovesick patient dream/ Please baby please,” “Oh Baby” gives notion that Murphy is nostalgic for his youth and refuses to let go of the music he grew up with.
The song introductions also include various intriguing elements. A continuous, simple beat, usually with one droning instrument, plays just long enough for the listener to grow accustomed to the sound. But once everything seems predictable, a prominent booming synth or percussion punches through the tranquil beat.
The change in pace is moving. And on American Dream LCD managed to make every single song introduction unique, even though most of them shared the evolving trend.
Furthermore, LCD uses synths tastefully throughout the album. The euphoric whoops and bumps spattered throughout the songs add depth to choruses, and a needed catchiness to verses. In the song “how do you sleep?,” the pounding twangy synth combined with Murphy’s urgent tone resembles a battle cry, and gives the listener a shiver of goose bumps.
The intense synth sound appeals to the senses and contributes immensely to what makes these songs so special. The heavy beats make it hard not to nod your head to the pulsating vibrations.
Despite LCD’s newest tracks being heavily influenced by the eighties electronic genre, chalk full of blaring sounds and prominent rhythms, there are still essences of the band’s original roots within each song. For one, Murphy has a distinct style of singing. His voice is continuous in most of the band’s work, and his techniques are basic – reflecting how Murphy focuses more on the meaning of his words than aesthetics.
His self reflections are deepest in the song “American Dream.” Its frustrating that this song was not placed first in the list, not because it shares a title with the album but because it sets the scene of Murphy’s battle with the current evolving world. He sings, “Wake up with somebody near you/ And at someone else’s place/ You took acid and looked in the mirror/ Watched the beard crawl around on your face.”
A distasteful sound rings through his voice as he describes moving through the day disgusted with the people’s outlook on life, and on music. His reference to drugs might also hint at his attempts to drown out modern day obsessions with fame and the impersonal mass-produced stigma that goes with it.
The song attributes the American dream with self absorption and dissatisfaction. Lyrics such as “Cause the body wants what it’s terrible at taking oh/ And you can’t remember the meaning/ But there’s no going back against this California feeling,” are a reflection of his battle against time. But, despite his frustration he can’t help but succumb to the “California feeling,” because that is what society deems idealistic.
American Dream is a vortex of unstable emotions, self reflection and mind bending beats that will send tingles down your spine. This album proves that negativity can be beautiful, and can lead to both self-reflection and inspiring music.
Contact CUI staff writer Sam Danshes at Sam.Danshes@colorado.edu
