JUST WHAT YOU NEEDED: LCD Soundsystem
Just What You Needed is our new daily short-form series which recommends classic new wave albums to you, the listener, based upon your current music habits. And the only place to start for such a project is to an artist who owes so much of their career to one specific album…
LCD Soundsystem are one of the most critically adored acts of the past 20 years. Boasting such varied but unwaveringly brilliant songs such as “All My Friends”, “Dance Yrself Clean”, and “Tribulations”, James Murphy and company have been able to attract fans far and wide. Across their four studio albums, their unusual blend of influences including classic pop, post-punk, and dance records are each given opportunity to shine through, such is the sheer size of ex-DJ Murphy’s record collection. However, one band — and indeed, one particular album — stands tall above all others…
Remain in Light is the fourth record by NYC-based art rockers Talking Heads and is widely considered to be their magnum opus. Included among its eight tracks is the band’s signature song, “Once in a Lifetime”, and an argument can be made that the sonic palette of this record is the one most synonymous with the band. With a clear focus on rhythm, the band foregoes the solo virtuosity exhibited by their contemporaries in favour of disco-friendly basslines and syncopated polyrhythmic percussion — all bound together with a pop sensibility. And “avant-garde, but make it danceable” has pretty much been LCD’s bag from the get-go.
