When David Bowie gives you the seal of approval, you can turn a permanent conclusion into a five-year hiatus and a stellar return album. James Murphy and co. ended all the rumors once and for all with American Dream and did so with a bang. The album feels incredibly present, addressing the pervasive existential loneliness and concern while bringing the family back together.
American Dream retains all of LCD Soundsystem’s ability to fill the dance floor and bring tears to your eyes. There were plenty of fears that they’d lose the goodwill earned by a public exit, but with an honest, powerful record like this, LCD only further cemented their spot .
Essential Tracks: “oh baby”, “call the police”, and “i used to”
Yes, it sounds like a U2 song. Yes, they quit and came back in less time than many artists take just to write and record a new record , James Murphy complained about never playing on SNL.. James Murphy asked his fans to give him a number one record. But who really cares when the song is this good? LCD are the rare band that deals in singles and albums. Their long players play well all the way through and their singles are mountain peaks across the horizon of music.
If you wondered if their brief but well-discussed exit robbed them of their excellence – “Call the Police” was the ideal defeat of that worry. The propulsive song never relents from the click track at the top through Mahoney’s constantly locked groove, never straying from perpetual forward motion. The pieces continue to stack until you are in an F-Zero straight race for the goal. The understated lower case titles perfectly represent this song that is so much more compelling than it acts like it is.
The Fat Angel Sings 