Recently I had a discussion with one of my friends who is also obsessed with music about significant artists who created genius music after 2000. His position was that Radiohead, Nirvana and Bjork were the last true innovative influencers, and that everything after them is just a melting pot of various genres. While I agree that most of the contemporary music is a mash-up rather than full-blooded innovation, I believe that there are many important, groundbreaking musicians who appeared in the past two decades. Without a doubt, LCD Soundsystem has marked the first decade of the new millennium, and it's difficult to find any flaw on their three albums released between 2005 and 2010. Yet, when they were in the zenith of popularity, James Murphy decided to dismantle the band, so the "swan song" (farewell concert) was played in Madison Square in April 2011.
Luckily, that wasn't a definite end and now we're talking about the fourth album of LCD Soundsystem. Besides Murphy, the band is: Nancy Whang, Gavin Russ, Pat Mahoney (Museum of Love) and Al Doyle (Hot Chip). Their version of american dream represents the empirical formula of electronic music perfected by its predecessors. The sound is leaning towards art rock, but it also succumbs to punk and big influences of the 80s, from dark Joy Division flavors to dance segments on the trace of The Human League. Some obvious music references are emotional haircut (Gang Of Four),oh baby (opening track dedicated to Alan Vega from suicide) and & other voices (Talking Heads), while homage to David Bowie is palpable on black screen, a fantastic song that closes the curtain of this successful comeback album.
From the beginning, the record flows, develops and grows in its own tempo just to burst into a multitude of layers that overwhelm you and make you want to dance. LCD Soundsystem have successfully put their idiosyncratic touch to everything they are influenced by without giving a single proof of copying anyone. No one will neglect american dream on the upcoming year-end charts.
