Album Review: “This is Happening”

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A day after leaking and it already seems like all of Blogdumb is rocking out to  LCD Soundsystem’s third album, This is Happening, which is officially due out on May 18th.   This is Happening is already blowing minds and fuse boxes in a mess of blood and circuits, and after spending the morning listening to LCD’s return to form, it’s easy to see why we’re all hot, bothered, blown-up, and 8-bitted.

“Dance Yrself Clean,” should be the prototypical opener for albums henceforth.  James Murphy’s vocals carry a stripped-down and bongo-back ballad during the initial three minutes, and then the breaker is flipped and the electricity comes flowing in with that familiar modern glow and aural comfort.  From then on the wattage only grows and at certain points, especially during the acid casualty bus ride that is  “One Touch,” you’re convinced that the light bulb is going to burst. 

This is Happening is an orgy of all things electronic, bleeping, and dramatic.  Even, “All I Want,” which is a straight-laced-up chuck taylor rock n’ roll song has a breakdown with a nonchalant synth, staggering up an down chord shapes, as well as an effect of the snare drum that makes it sound like a whispering phaser.  At times “All I Want,” as well as the rest of the album, can be a bit of a ringing din of noise, but This is Happening vindicates itself by being the most danceable album made so far this year.

No more is this album more danceable and poppy than on “I Can Change,” which I’m not going to write anything on except that it’s very British, in a good way.  The most produced song leads into the least produced and final cut on TIH.  “You Wanted a Hit,” is always on the verge of a breakdown that never happens, before unceremoniously dying off in a flurry of chorded sound effects; it’s classic LCD for anybody who likes a cold nine-minute riff paired with laconic lyrics.

MP3:  LCD Soundsystem – Dance Yrself Clean

Mp3:  LCD Soundsystem – All I Want