LCD Soundsystem, "Someone Great" (YSI link)
We're going to take a look back at the year that passed this week, officially say goodbye to 2007. Let's call it closure. I always get neurotic with these end of the year lists, as they find that sweet spot in a horrible personality made up entirely of neuroses, list-making, obsessiveness and self-loathing. Let's call it a perfect storm. I usually make like a million different top 10s, change them around, try to divide them into different categories so that I don't leave anyone out, take weeks too long to finalize anything and is generally an exercise in futility.
New year, new man. I have James Murphy to thank for this, I think. LCD Soundsystem's Sound Of Silver is my album of the year, an easy decision for me to be honest. It was the one I was most excited for, the one that I loved the most right away and the one that I keep coming back to. I have recommended it endlessly to friends, it's been a soundtrack for days at a time. I recently told someone that this was my favorite album of the year and he disagreed, didn't get why everyone seemed to like it so much. It's a fair question. For me, this was dance music for adults. In a year of new rave and electrorock dominance, this album was deeper, more thoughtful and interesting than all of the other dance music I heard.
It's the heart of the album, "Someone Great" and "All My Friends," where things go from great to classic. "Someone Great" is the a gorgeous, heartbreaking song that chronicles the end of a relationship, with oscillating synths, tinkling keys and effects slowly building up over the 6 and a half minutes. Usually the lyrics are a weak point, but these ones are wonderful, Murphy's voice is perfect for me, as I love to hear a less-than-perfect voice"All My Friends" sounds even better, a truly epic keys track that brings me to tears. It's this seriousness and willingness to wear emotions on the sleeve that makes it rise over the competition, makes it feel more permanent and less faddish. Of course, there's also upbeat dance punk stuff, instrumentals, cowbells and even a ballad, all of which adds up to a complete package.
That variety also gets at the idea that this is adult dance music. I'm not sure I'm explaining that well, or even can, but in essense, there's something confident about this album, as if Murphy, Goldsworthy and crew just knew what they wanted to do and did it, regardless of trends or whatever. Even something as simple as writing a song that doesn't run from emotions seems so mature, a comfortable-in-one's-own-style kinda thing that was refreshing. I'm rambling at this point, but hopefully these thoughts will get everyone to check out the LP.
Buy your copy if you haven't already, the one album I would hope everyone buys this year. Or better yet, head to the DFA Webstore and cop the new album, the Nike mix, 45:33, and the s/t debut and give your money right to the source. Yeah!
So, how about you guys and girls? Was there one album that stood out head and shoulders above everything else? Any immediately classic albums? I'll flesh out my favorite albums later this week, then onto 2008.
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