I jumped into LCD Soundsystem without hearing their first effort, and almost as a random CD purchase. The band name, and the track list gave it away as your typical party album. Nothing too deep, but holding the odd funky song you might slot into a playlist. But 'Sound of Silver' delivered on more levels than I expected.
Firstly was the witty, deadpan humour that runs throughout some of the tracks, "and for those of you who still think that we're from England: we're not... No."
There's nine tracks, each of a considerable length, and each a distinguishable piece of it's own. The album's structure leads you through differing phases of mood and seriousness.
When Silver wants to be deeper, it does so very well. In Someone Great we hear the one-man-band James Murphy resignedly sing about a crumbling relationship, filling it with credible history, "the little things that made me nervous are gone in a moment". And then All My Friends conjures nostalgic imagery of times that… more »

I jumped into LCD Soundsystem without hearing their first effort, and almost as a random CD purchase. The band name, and the track list gave it away as your typical party album. Nothing too deep, but holding the odd funky song you might slot into a playlist. But 'Sound of Silver' delivered on more levels than I expected.
Firstly was the witty, deadpan humour that runs throughout some of the tracks, "and for those of you who still think that we're from England: we're not... No."
There's nine tracks, each of a considerable length, and each a distinguishable piece of it's own. The album's structure leads you through differing phases of mood and seriousness.
When Silver wants to be deeper, it does so very well. In Someone Great we hear the one-man-band James Murphy resignedly sing about a crumbling relationship, filling it with credible history, "the little things that made me nervous are gone in a moment". And then All My Friends conjures nostalgic imagery of times that have regrettably gone by, how friendships pull slowly apart as we grow old, "you spend the first five years trying to get with the plan, and the next five years trying to be with your friends again", whilst a run-away piano riff pulls the album to it's climax.
Silver is exactly what it says on the case: is has a clean, appealing sound all the way through. For example, Get Innocuous opens with a barely noticeable, bubbling base line that as the song wakes up slowly expands and grows into a fantastically catchy repetition. The same applies for the unexpected turn that the title track takes, mid way through.
This album was the best thing I heard last year, stealing 'In Rainbows' crown. It proves music doesn't have to take itself too seriously to be respected. It's an easy going, catchy sound with a remarkable amount of substance. The sound of gold.

I think dance music is a risky bussiness, in a genre so insistent on whats new and cool, how do you remain cool yet timeless enough to stick around? I think James Murphy has found the answer.

That is not to say this isn't cool and dance-able, it most certainly is, maybe not to the extent of the punk-funk of "Daft Punk is playing at my house" or "Tribulations" but the beats on "Get Innocuos" and "SOund of Silver" are fit and ready for clubs and remixes, but it is the wit and heart of LCD that make them brilliant.

"North American Scum" is a biting commentry on Yanka-phobes that is patriotic and cool at the same time, it is a great lead single with a catchy chorus. THe two following this, "SOmeone Great" and "All my friends" display repetative drums with synths and guitars building up and crashing down around it complete with a lament for someone after a bad break up and a commentry on fame and growing up on the scene respectively. THese vocal takes show the heart behind the… more »

I think dance music is a risky bussiness, in a genre so insistent on whats new and cool, how do you remain cool yet timeless enough to stick around? I think James Murphy has found the answer.

That is not to say this isn't cool and dance-able, it most certainly is, maybe not to the extent of the punk-funk of "Daft Punk is playing at my house" or "Tribulations" but the beats on "Get Innocuos" and "SOund of Silver" are fit and ready for clubs and remixes, but it is the wit and heart of LCD that make them brilliant.

"North American Scum" is a biting commentry on Yanka-phobes that is patriotic and cool at the same time, it is a great lead single with a catchy chorus. THe two following this, "SOmeone Great" and "All my friends" display repetative drums with synths and guitars building up and crashing down around it complete with a lament for someone after a bad break up and a commentry on fame and growing up on the scene respectively. THese vocal takes show the heart behind the beats and the honest lyrics are what makes this album a classic.

"Watch the tapes" crashes in on a wave of punk-funk not unlike "Movement" showing the rockier side of LCD's cannon andthe climactic closer "NY I love you, but your bringing me down" is surely one of the best songs of the 21st century, a call to arms for New yorkers and mourning for old times that truly is the comedown from LCD's first two albums, and makes you wonder what the third album could be, there is tonnes of potential for LCD soundsytem to be one of the best bands of this decade.