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When I reached saturation from metal in the late '90s, I felt an irresistible urge for something new. I had really explored all the genres of metal… From hard rock to glam, from grunge to thrash. The first strands of hair were starting to fall out, and headbanging was giving me more and more problems! And then all the new bands of new-metal or crossover (except for Slipknot and System of a Down) honestly made me sick! But what could I dedicate myself to? The '80s dance music was nostalgia from middle school as beautiful as it was; I had already abused pop in the early years of high school, and it tasted like plain boiled rice when I strayed from the classics like Bowie or Duran Duran. So musically, what could I get into? I couldn't possibly keep blasting "Master of Puppets" at full volume in the car at 30, right? Damn, while all my friends were going to "Dance Valley," I was the only one wanting to go to "Monsters of Rock"! More than retro, I felt like a loser.
I had a revelation when I accidentally listened to "The Fat of the Land" by THE PRODIGY for the first time. Well… you couldn't really say that those sounds weren't appealing. And then they made you want to mosh at the end, right? Mmm… I decided to delve deeper… NIN? "The Downward Spiral"? Fucking brilliant. So electronics could be applied to metal with industrial! And as usual, Mike Patton had seen far. BLUVERTIGO, "Metallo non Metallo"; ah, okay, and even pop if you wanted. And then those bands always brought me back to the sounds of the only non-metal band I had always secretly cultivated (a bit hidden from my metalhead friends), DEPECHE MODE. Could it be that inside me, there was a hidden electronic soul? DAFT PUNK, "Homework." I was screwed! CHEMICAL BROTHERS, "Dig Your Own Hole"; it wasn't even 2000 yet, and I was already lost in electronics! And now? Help! What do I do? I continued. And in my journey through a genre I mistakenly thought was devoid of skill and technique, I discover a new band I like every day. TIGA, LADYTRON, PLANET FUNK, !!!, ROYKSOPP, my latest favorite discoveries.
As a layman of the genre, I stumble in the middle of the path of my life into LCD SOUNDSYSTEM. I remembered them mostly for their single from a few years ago, "Daft Punk is Playing in my House," nice with that ever-constant pumping bass. And what about the video? Even though the real masterpiece from their first album is, in my opinion, "Beat Connection," an almost progressive piece with a solid traditional fast-paced drumming underneath and bongos that rise to summon the electronics that emerge only after 2 minutes of pure tribal. I can't pin down this band to a defined genre, and that's already a good sign. There's a bit of "acid house," a pinch of "garage rock," a touch of "psychedelic pop," all in a '70s beat sauce. They're not bad at all. Mind you, I'm not writing to tell you that this "Sound of Silver" (March 2007) is an album that will make music history, but it's smooth all the way through. Your foot taps on the floor in every track and on the singles… you feel the urge to dance wildly! It fits in, no denying it. 9 tracks, just right to not go overboard. The intro "Get Innocuous" with a nice wall of electronic sound is excellent. After that, aside from the two "radio-friendly" "North America Scum" (score 7) and "Time To Get Away" (score 8, with a very James Brown-like vocal), almost all the other tracks exceed 7 minutes in length. "Someone Great" sounds like a piece written by Tiga, with many nods again to Daft Punk. Tracks 5 and 6 are acceptable fillers. You get the impression of being dropped into a '70s New York disco, with afro-DJs having 2000s sounds at their disposal. The funky guitar underneath many tracks slightly reminds one of the Arctic Monkeys, while the bass often echoes Daft Punk's classic loops, but everything seems intentional and well-planned. And then, lo and behold, a hint of punk in "Watch the tapes". Track 8 ventures into purest electronics (the classic "I studied Kraftwerk too") with great sounds and a superb bass underneath. The album closes with a slow serenade dedicated to the city of New York.
James Murphy (one of the founders of DFA Records) is a brilliant mind. A multi-instrumentalist, he completely sings and plays his LCD Soundsystem projects and then accompanies himself with excellent live musicians (the bassist is from !!!). The first album "Soundsystem" was certainly more innovative and creative. This one is more polished in details, less raw, less instinctive but more technical. I'm quite sure it will have less success than the previous one, but maybe personally, I almost like it more. It seems he wants to take the path of true exploration, leaving behind commercial pieces for big dance halls like in some tracks of the first. Overall very listenable, pleasant, and enjoyable. However, Murphy's potential seems somewhat constrained by always wanting to please both the clubbers and the rockers, without making a bold choice that might give him more "creative rage."
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Get Innocuous! (07:11)
home- home in the late-night
and away- away in the half-life
except sunday- crushed by the boring
until played and plagued by the tourists again
when once you had believed it
now you see it's sucking you in
to string you along with the pretense
and pave the way for the coming release
alone and prone in the half-light
and late- late in the real-life
if you find a way into the gold rush
you will stay until the morning comes
you can normalize
don't it make you feel alive
get innocous!
02 Time to Get Away (04:11)
Its time to get away, its time to get away from you
Its time to get away, its time to get away from you
You brought a lot of money
But me, look it’s a tidy ?
And you, you make me sleep
I try and try
But you’re under my knee
And I start to be sensible (if you know what I mean)
And so its time to get away, Its time to get away from you
I’m dying to get away, I’m dying to get away
Next time we’ll talk it over
And we can start again
For you, I caught a lot of static
And me, I would like it automatic
Ah-what what what what what did you think would happen next?
Ah-what what what what what could it ever be?
Though its time to get away, its time to get away from you
I’m dying to get away, I’m dying to get away
Next time let’s talk about it
And maybe start again
To think I used to pity you
To think I used to pity you, it’s true
To think I used to pity you
To think I used to talk to you, it’s true
Next time we can talk about it
Or even start again
I couldn’t tell you what you wanted
(You know what I’m saying?) I knew you were low man,
But the truth is I was shocked
[Of] power eyes, eyes never lie
Kids, Kids never lie
03 North American Scum (05:25)
Oh, oh oh
Oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
We are North Americans
And for those of you who still think we're from England
We're not, no.
We build our planes and our trains till we think we might die,
Far from North America,
Where the buildings are old and you might have lots of mimes.
Aha, oh, oh.
I hate the feelin' when you're looking at me that way
Cause we're North Americans
But if we act all shy, it'll make it ok;
Makes it go away.
Oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
When we're North American
But in the end we make the same mistakes all over again
Come on North Americans
We are North American scum
We're from North America
And all the kids, all the kids, that want to make a scene
Here in North America
When our young kids get to read it in your magazines
We don't have those
So where's the love, where's the love, where's the love, where's the love, where's the love tonight?
But there's no love man, there's no love and the kids are uptight
So throw a party till the cops come in and bust it up
Let's go North Americans
Oh you were planning it I didn't mean to interrupt
Sorry
I did it once and my parents got pretty upset
Freaked out in North America
But then I said the more I do it, the better it gets
Let's rock, North America
We are North American scum
We're from North America
We are North American scum
We are North American
New York's the greatest if you get someone to pay the rent
Wa-hoo North America
And it's the furthest you can live from the government un huh huh
Some fat American Christians might disagree
Here in North America
But New York's the only place we keep them off the street
Boo boo Now we can't have parties like in Spain where they go all night
Shut down in North America
Or like Berlin where they go another night, alright, un huh un huh
You see I love this place that I have grown to know
Alright, North America.
And yeah, I know you wouldn't touch us with a ten-foot pole
'cause we're North Americans.
We are North American scum
We are North Americans
We are North American scum
We love North America
Take me back to the states man!
North American scum
Where we can be in any one of million new bands!
North American
Where the DJ gigs arn't as fun!
Here in North American scum
Don't blame the Canadians!
Let's go North America!
04 Someone Great (06:25)
I wish that we could talk about it,
But there, that's the problem.
With someone new I could have started,
Too late for beginnings.
The little things that made me harassed,
Are gone in a moment.
I miss the way we used to argue,
Locked in your basement.
I wake up and the phone is ringing,
Surprised, as it's early.
And that should be the perfect warning,
That something's a problem.
To tell the truth I saw it coming,
The way you were breathing.
But nothing can prepare you for it,
The voice on the other end.
The worst is all the lovely weather,
I'm sad it's not raining.
The coffee isn't even bitter,
Because what's the difference?
There's all the work that needs to be done,
It's late for revision.
There's all the time and all the planning,
And songs to be finished.
And it keeps coming,
And it keeps coming,
And it keeps coming,
Till the day it stops
(Repeat x3)
And it keeps coming,
(Repeat x7)
Till the day it stops.
I wish that we could talk about it,
But there, that's the problem.
With someone new I could have started,
Too late for beginnings.
You're smaller than my wife imagined,
Surprised you were human.
There shouldn't be this ring of silence,
But what are the options?
When someone great is gone.
(Repeat x8)
We're safe, for the moment.
Saved,
For the moment.
06 Us v Them (08:29)
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
And so all the good people wanna rescue
All the small people wanna talk to you
All the clever people wanna tell you
All the little people wanna dance its true
But the time has come, the time has come, the time has come, the time has come
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come, the time has come
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
The time has come, the time has come, the time has come today
And so all the good people wanna rescue
All the small people wanna talk to you
All the clever people wanna tell you
All the little people wanna dance its true
Cloud, block out the sun
Over me, over me
And spoil, spoil all the fun
Won’t you please
Cloud, block out the sun
Over me, over me
And spoil, spoil all the fun
Wont you please
If you please, please anyone
Talk to me talk to me
All you boys, lonely and drunk
On your knees
Us and Them
Over and over again
Us and Them
Over and over again
Us and Them
Over and over again
Us and Them
Over and over and over again
Because all the good people wanna rescue
All the small people wanna talk to you
All the clever people wanna tell you
All the little people wanna dance its true
So its Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over and over and over
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over and over and over
All the good people wanna rescue
All the small people wanna talk to you
All the clever people wanna tell you
All the little people wanna dance its true
Its just Us and Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us v. Them
Over and over again
Us and Them
Over and over again
07 Watch the Tapes (03:55)
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
I get all confused when you mix up the dates....
Woah!
Don't gimme the pretend you come for the weekend
And you stay for the week
You say that you hate it but that's how you made it
Just to keep it oblique
We're both high high high, high high on lemon sips
We're all suh-suh-suh sucked-in-by parlour tricks
Oh the people deceive you the kids never leave
Cuz you make them at home
You try to appease them and they show you the stick
But still you pick up the phone
But hey man, you can take it
As long as they don't shove you out in the cold
It's not getting better, no it's not getting better, man
It's just getting old
And ah ooh! We do what we're programmed to do--
Hey we do what we're told
Ah woo-hoo
I never remember to carry my book when i get on the bus
You never forget it's your time to collect
When they are making a fuss
We're both high high high, high high on lemon sips
We're all high high high, high high on wiggling hips
And ah ooh! You break off your plans for the weekend
And ah ooh! You can tell them the dates
But that don't mean they'll let you go
Ah woo-hoo
Yeah
Ah woo-hoo
Don't gimme the pretend you come for the weekend
And you stay for the year
Avoid all the plans cuz we're making our day jobs
Into a steady career
We're both high high high, high high on lemon sips
We all claw claw claw, cli-climb-on to sinking ships
And ah ooh! Avoid all the cold sideways glances
And ah ooh! Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!
And then turn to stone
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
You turn 25 and now you're all out of escapes
C'mon
Hey the rock writer told me to tell you:
"Though you're great and you're brave
You still lack that which makes you a star."
Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes
We all get a little drunk and then we act like apes
Ow!
08 Sound of Silver (07:07)
Sound of Silver talk to me,
Makes you want to feel like a teenager.
Until you remember the feelings of
A real live emotional teenager
Then you think again
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By halo1
Sound of Silver is probably not up to par with its predecessor, yet it is an album that in its shorter length perhaps better encapsulates the stylistic and creative essence of Murphy and company.
A great album, perhaps not the one that will deliver the LCD to history, but an album that certainly sanctioned the stature of the most inspired band of the new returning wave.
