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LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

DFA/Virgin

On This Is Happening, LCD Soundsystem has mastered the art of dirtying up synthesizers with ragged bottoming-out edges—injecting some human grit into the music of the machine. James Murphy and crew’s ability to deploy a polyrhythmic cowbell pattern—or a perfectly placed off-beat handclap accent across a groove—is almost unmatched. And when Murphy launches into one of his signature Al-Green-worthy falsettos at the end of a vocal phrase, it’s an ecstatic payoff. Murphy and his band are plainly aligned with the Brian Eno/David Byrne/David Bowie camp of sonic wizardry and crafty grabbing, twisting robot textures into ass-shaking shapes, but LCD is light years ahead in the actual blood-and-guts emotion, funk and soul departments. “All I Want” is an impeccable layered bundle of wistfulness that mixes feedback guitar (a nod to Bowie’s “Heroes”) and subtle backing vocal touches, all devolving into atonal synth squiggles at the end, like a top wobbling off its axis, captivating to watch as it spins and falls.