LCD Soundsystem – American Dream

LCD Soundsystem – American Dream (2017, DFA Records/Columbia)

LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy entered the indie-rock pantheon 15 years ago with “Losing My Edge,” a song that both mocked and heralded the ephemerality of underground music. When Murphy decided to retire the project in 2011, he promised to never make a new LCD album again. But as much as the band’s great album, American Dream, breathes new life into the championed indie veterans, it’s an effort marked by lost opportunities and stringent self-rumination. For a project that essentially started as an ironic caricature of indie-rock’s propensity for ego-stroking, Murphy’s trajectory feels unassured. His formula remains unaltered, combining an affinity for synths with the potent dance-punk sounds of the 70s and 80s. It’s the sound of tradition stricken by trouble and confusion—a critique of the American dream itself. Like his debut, “Losing My Edge,” much of American Dream’s 70 minutes feel plagued by the persisting disappearance of history. Only now, it has become more and more prevalent to Murphy.

Trial Track: “tonite”

8.6/10

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