Many critics conflated themselves with the voice adopted by Murphy in "Losing my Edge," oddly seeking to endear themselves to the panic of trend chasing and the danger of kids outstripping them in the hipster stakes. But wasn't this missing the point?

I'd always liked "Losing My Edge" for how it cataloged the stifling weight of 'been dones' bearing down on us since a booming American post-War economy first threw up a mass consumable pop culture. Suffering from an overwhelming hangover of cultural references leading to creative blockages the track claimed a lineage from all originators, a Faustian pop cultural pact that echoed Jaggers's hushed Satanism in "Sympathy for the Devil." This compulsive back trailing led to a healthy exorcism of all guilt or expectations of the "new" letting us revel to party soundtracks that felt right for now.

Unfortunately for James Murphy , his whole celebrated beats and guitar collision has "been done" better on LCD Soundsystem's debut. Leaked on the net months prior to its release much of the hype you might expect around the album slowly deflated, farted out across staggered reviews as the album fell into the hands of music bloggers one after the other.

"Get Innoucous" starts the album off with 'Losing My Edges' drum beat and the pulse of a straight lift from Kraftwerk's "The Robots." The eventual repetitious female vocal that creeps in will lend itself well to house edits. Its hard to find anything on the album that'll set off house party bedlam ala "Daft Punk Are Playing at My House" but perhaps their previous genius will shine on the no doubt endless amounts of dancefloor remixes set to follow.

"All My Friends" carries a harrowing piano line and sketching lyrics that paint the cinematic of a loneliness and depression that comes from reflecting on the stupid decisions of youth. "Watch the Tapes" will leave you feverish with the constant thud of musical echoes informing LCD's sound. That cocky vocal pout of "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" comes through briefly on "Time to Get Away."

"Someone great" is the only track that points to a real maturing in Murphy's sound. The only hint that he's played with a few toys other than simplistic drum machines in an attempt to recapture the stumbled on brilliance of the first album. With its swirling bleeps and crisp underlying drone, the track maps a clear direction away from disco punk antics.

If the album has a real gem its "North American Scum". Swaggering with an expected proud gait of statement, a murmouring bass line is accompanied by a brilliant theatrical wail of a chorus that runs back to fears of "kids who want to make the scene." There's also some brainless as Greenday poltic-ing as NYC becomes the "furthest place you can live from the government," Murphy's criticism of power owes more to the inability of "parties to go all night" than the imperial war of his nations leaders, urban poverty or even NYC's fierce recent gentrification dealt with on "NY I Love You" with a taste of rom-com heart break.

You'll find this album all over the net, but if you just want to gander of its flavor, its streaming over at their Myspace.

Labels: LCD Soundsystem, Music