A Funk-Infused Comeback
After their highly anticipated reunion, electro-indie group LCD Soundsystem has released their latest project American Dream. This is the bands’ fifth studio album and a phenomenal comeback after their break up. Rumors of the bands’ reunion were confirmed in early 2016 and were followed by heavy touring and headlining major music festivals which finally led up to the release of American Dream this September.
The album follows the bands strong past repertoire of awesome dance music and also features influences from funk which can be heard on tracks such as “other voices” and “change yr mind.” The album makes use of a wide array of instruments such as synthesizers, a variety of drums, pianos, and electric and bass guitars.
The album opens with the track entitled “oh baby” which has a love ballad feel to it and features an ’80s pop inspired sound. The song utilizes synthesizers that create the lighthearted sound and the vocals are layered over them nicely to create an almost dream-like feel to it.
The funk influences arise on the next track “other voices,” which features a thick rhythmic bass line. The drum patterns add to the funky dance-able feel to the song and make it a lot of fun to listen to. The vocals of the track go along nicely with the pacing of the track and the short guitar solos only add to the already great song.
The next track “i used to” feels a lot more dream-like but less pop-y than “oh baby.” The synthesizers on this track help to capture the dreamy sound as well as the vocals of front man James Murphy that are layered nicely over the synthesizers. Lyrics such as, “I still try to wake up” add to the hazy feel of the song. In spite of the dreamy vibe the song does maintain a really nice rhythmic drum pattern behind the light dreamy feel.
On the track “change yr mind,” the funky dance influence is once again brought back featuring a thick bass line and funk-infused electric guitar riffs. This funk infused sound is heard once again on the track “tonite,” yet it has a much more electro-funk kind of sound and does not use the electric or bass guitar. The heavy use of synthesizers give it the feel of a old school aerobics video.
One major highlight from the album is the title track “american dream,” which goes back to the more dream like tone that is heard earlier album. The song features light airy vocals layered over thick synthesizers which at some points take a very light melodic tone. While it has s mysterious quality, the song would fit in well at an ’80s prom — or on the soundtrack of Stranger Things.
American Dream does not disappoint and is a fun listen for new and old fans of LCD Soundsystem. It is a great comeback album and shows promise for the groups’ future.
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