LCD Soundsystem This is Happening

LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening

Reviewed by: Daniel Wipert

The first LCD Soundsystem song I ever heard was “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House” and it made me want to punch someone in the face. I will admit there is something interesting about these songs, but they seemed nothing more than a passing curiosity. They felt like novelty songs in the worst way, and they certainly did not deserve the awkward superlatives of the hipper-than-thou’s. Where was the groove, the melody, the emotion? If LCD had not become so popular in the indie/hipster scene, my opinion of James Murphy’s work would have stayed in the “I can’t be bothered” zone, but as his popularity increased my negative feelings began to blossom. Paralleling the rise of LCD Soundsystem was the surging commodification of alternative culture throughout the Aughts. I had a hard time separating the two, and for me, LCD became the emblem for the malaise and nihilism of my fellow young white privileged Americans. Looking back, this was probably unfair and of course hyperbolic, but there is some connection between the proliferation of alt-cool groupthink and the popularity of LCD Soundsystem.

The bottom line is that I hated LCD before I loved them.

I remember being really irritable when I was watching LCD Soundsystem play at Lollapalooza in 2007. The only reason I was willing to stand there and watch them was so I could get a good spot for Daft Punk, who were playing right after LCD. I was standing there in the blazing August sun being pissed that people were liking the show. I really can’t put into words why I was so upset, but it had something to do with “phonies” and “fakes.” I can trace it to my Catcher-in-the -Rye world view that most people usually abandon when they are 17. After a few songs, I settled down and then LCD played “Someone Great,” which reminded me of New Order. I stopped being such an uptight loser and started to enjoy the show, which sounded fantastic. The show was so good that I felt like I was just being a judgmental prick by trashing LCD Soundsystem. I wanted to get into it with their music and join the fun.

My anticipation for this new album was off the charts. I loved “All My Friends” and “Someone Great” off of their last album, Sound of Silver. I had also gotten into synths and drum programming, which made me even more interested in James Murphy’s music and production style. Strangely, I had become invested in Murphy’s success as an artist, producer, and indie label czar despite my initial displeasure with his music and public demeanor. I wanted him to make beautiful edgy dance music, and I wanted to feel a part of it. Even though I was super jazzed for the new album, there were plenty of warning signs that This is Happening was not going to be the amazing album I wanted it to be.

About a year ago, I read an interview with Murphy, who was recording the new album in a Los Angeles mansion owned by Rick Rubin. Before even reading the interview, I was confused as to why Murphy would leave his adopted home of NYC to make a record in LA, in a mansion no less. It sounded desperate to me for some reason. Then when I read the interview, all the negative feelings I initially had for Murphy came flooding back. He came across as smug and crass. Also, his responses were cagey, self-involved and needlessly elitist: “I only use analog equipment.” I sound like a total asshole to most people most of the time so I assumed it was just poor editing or Murphy didn’t have his coffee that morning.

When I first put on This is Happening, I was very giddy, just waiting to hear the geniusness flow out my headphones. After one listen, I concluded it was a slow burner. The genius would hit after a few listens, I had thought. Unfortunately, the goods never arrived. There have only been a few albums where I have tried to “will it” to be amazing. Oasis’ Be Here Now was the first and This is Happening hopefully will be the last. To be blunt, I don’t like a single song on the album besides “Home,” which is basically a well-done Talking Heads cover. I have tried several times to find something enjoyable about the songs on This is Happening. I just can’t do it anymore.

“Drunk Girls” is an abomination besides the last 30 seconds. The opener “Dance Yrself Clean” takes three minutes to actually begin. I don’t wait three minutes for anything, especially not a self-indulgent artist. Murphy’s superb production skills do make This is Happening an interesting and engaging listen. Conversely, the songwriting is just plain awful. Murphy doesn’t really write or construct songs. He seems to just jam out tunes without any aim or goal in mind. While this can work with some artists, the results here are songs that just drag and trudge forward without any sense of purpose. They are lumpy, tame, and bored.

Home by LCD Soundsystem

I am very much a pop music person, so I tend to be drawn to songs with extremely tight structures and intricate narratives. I feel every second of sound should be woven into some greater structure, not a single second should be wasted. The songs on This is Happening are not tight nor are they intricate in any sense beyond their instrumentation. They float out in the air like a miasma smothering the melody, harmony, and emotion that are hidden within these tracks. The genius is in there somewhere, but the songs are so unfocused it can be a struggle to even know it’s there.

To make a parallel to the film world, watch Richard Kelly’s film Donnie Darko, then watch the director’s cut. A good editor can completely change a piece of art for better or worse. Raymond Carver had Gordon Lish, Michael Jackson had Quincy Jones, but James Murphy only has himself. I can’t help but think this album would be significantly better if he brought in an outside collaborator to assist with the songwriting. Again, the sound is great, but the songs are boring, repetitive, and go absolutely no where. On his own, Murphy presents us with “Somebody’s Calling Me,” which is one of the worst songs I have heard from an artist I respect.

I am open to this album being a very very slow burner. I am always wrong, but so is everyone else, all the time. In a year, I might love it, but right now I am pretty sure I hate it. I wouldn’t have so much dislike for the album, if I didn’t think he could do so much better. I know James Murphy is a talented producer and could write some amazing songs.

Other reviews of This is Happening range from gushing to complete adoration. This is some of the most well-crafted sophistry I have heard in a long time. Even the nerds on the music forums I frequent are all about this album. I don’t get it. I have heard 10 new songs today that are better than anything I heard on This is Happening. What this says to me is that LCD Soundsystem has become a product whose brand is hip, urban coolness. If you are “in,” the new LCD is “dope,” or whatever boring people say nowaways. In my language, This is Happening is disappointing, mediocre, and self-indulgent. That being said, I can’t wait to see LCD Soundsystem live in Portland in a couple weeks with Holy Ghost! opening. It should be a blazing show, even if the new songs do nothing for me.

Rating: 54%

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OMD: 50% (-4%) – The more critics praise this album, the more I am going to hate it. In a month’s time, I have heard a bizarre refrain of “genius,” “I can’t believe he made a better album than Sound of Silver, and the infamous “James Murphy is the king of indie dance.” You can’t dance to any songs on this album, so I have no idea what these people are talking about… The album is boring and lacks any semblance of pathos.