Sound of Silver (turns to Gold)

LCD Soundsystem -- "Sound of Silver"

I don't pretend to understand where the music comes from or who James Murphy is. I'm not hip, as the Lumberjack is quick to point out. But I do know I freaking love good electronic music, when its not Techno, and it hooks you in for about 5-7 minutes of mesmerizing fun.

This album does exactly that. Some of their previous stuff is clearly worth checking out, but I jumped on for this album and fell in love immediately. The first time I heard the music was on my local Communist outpost WNKU, which had a feature listening party and agonizingly picked apart the lyrics and the musical syncopations (not that I know whether or not they were used) for their significance, something I'll try to avoid here.

So I heard the music, thought it was interesting, listened to the album a few times on their MySpace page (still there if you want a sample of the full tracks), downloaded it up and plugged it into the iPod. That is the power of MySpace, I was hooked, but wanted the songs so I went out and got them. Brilliance. This is my driving soundtrack, my late night fix, my help me wake up in the morning, everything music.

The best songs are clearly "Someone Great" and "All My Friends". These are more the storytelling variety with beautiful instruments leading the way. But the rhythmic and repetitive "Get Innocuous" and "Time to Get Away" are unforgettable as well. Another favorite because of my near obsession with the Talking Heads is "Us v Them", think "What a Day that Was".

This album works well together from beginning to end and its final track, "New York I Love You" is a sarcasm-filled jab at the NYC life, which I'm sure confused the hipsters.

As for its staying power, it has the capability to be on my most played list for many years. "Someone Great" is one of my favorite new songs and will always hold a special spot in my listening pantheon. Creativity is key, and James Murphy is one great creator.