This Is Happening

iTunes Review

Sound of Silver remains one of those career-defining releases that forces whatever follows it to be unfairly judged against it. Still, This is Happening is a worthy successor. James Murphy continues his eclectic rumble through the sonic jungle, coming up with amazing juxtapositions of melodic pop and disco keyboards and backbeats. “Dance Yrself Clean” begins as a slow rumination that slowly builds into an elliptical maze where the hall of mirrors reflects upon itself until the falsetto emerges amongst the angst and the beats gain in ferocity. At nine minutes, it accomplishes everything you could want. “Drunk Girls” compresses the punch into a succinct hit single that screams for the early 1980s as its lyrics burst through with pure hilarity. “You Wanted a Hit” is another epic. At nine minutes, it takes its good sweet time finding its way. With LCD Soundsystem, Murphy jams his entire record collection into the grooves, playing with sound like an experienced DJ who’s learned how to make the music himself. The vocal dynamics (supplemented by Nancy Whang’s backing vocals) turn each joyride into a trip to a land of great fantasy.