AM & Shawn Lee – La Musique Numerique

Funk You Can Funk To

Summer seems to be the time when records with good and enjoyable production pop up, with dance hits ablaze. With Daft Punk’s album on the verge of possibly ruling EDM for the rest of the year, there’s still some funky, danceable grooves making their way to your awkward solo bedroom dance-offs. AM & Shawn Lee’s second effort, La Musique Numerique, is a hot, punchy mix of disco-pop and pink lemonade.

The album starts off with “Two Times,” which combines elements of sweaty, lo-fi dance hall and ’80s electronica. Mellow vocals added to call and response guitar licks make this one of the sexiest things to hit May. “Suffer Like Me” is a bass-driven, quirky pop track. Mid-2000s indie leanings and fat, eh, phat drums make this a definite driving soundtrack. The Nile Rodgers-like guitar and slappy basslines almost make this a contender for Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” but not everyone has the benefit of having Pharrell at their disposal.

Songs like “Automatic” and “Special Disco” definitely showcase the duo’s production talents, utilizing a mix of textural synths, reverb effects, and thick square leads. It’s like Jamiroquai decided to hang out with Passion Pit for a day. La Musique Numerique is a testament to what you can do with a background in solid songwriting and production, and not what you can throw at a laptop in a couple of days. AM & Shawn Lee have found the perfect balance of analog style, coupled with the pseudo retro-digital age our generation’s music and fashion have adapted to. Either way, just throw on this disc and dance your ass off for the next three months.