This is Happening - LCD Soundsystem (2010)

This is Happening is the third album by Brooklyn based electro/indie/punk outfit LCD Soundsystem, fronted and formed by James Murphy – released in 2010 a year before they disbanded, the album is very much a beautiful blend of their previous two efforts in one. Their debut album, LCD Soundsystem, is a mixed bag with some killer singles but comes across a tad unfocussed and therefore off the mark in other areas. This 2005 effort is much more punk-orientated than any of their albums since, especially more so than their second album, Sound of Silver, which leans more into their indie rock side with singles like ‘All My Friends’ and ‘Someone Great’ (the latter sounding like an obscure and upbeat The Cure B-side). This blend of punk and indie rock, combined with LCD Soundsystem’s signature electronic sound is the basis for This is Happening.

Kicking the album off is ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ which has since become a fan favourite, starting with this juxtaposition of quiet and loud, the three minute lo-fi intro builds to this climax where the song’s missing pieces are filled in – all this without much indication of any rise before the climax. What is very clever about this song is how the instrumental does not change throughout the song; elements like the light drums, the bassline, vocals and electronic melody are present throughout and only get louder and are more emphasised in the main bulk of the track. The second single released off This is Happening, ‘Drunk Girls’, follows ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ and is the first example of this indie rock and punk blend on the album. The track has this thumping bassline with several members of the band chanting “drunk girls” throughout the song that gives it this Beastie Boys erraticism that is a stark contrast from the very well-constructed ‘Dance Yrself Clean’. Other examples of this blend of sound are ‘All I Want’ and ‘I Can Change’ – ‘All I Want’ encompasses the late-2000s indie rock sound but slows it down 10BPM to make it sound like an LCD Soundsystem song rather than a rip off of The Strokes. ‘I Can Change’ is an electronic and indie tune, that is also a FIFA 11 classic, its synthpop sound showcases another way in which Murphy can switch up the electro/indie sound, without it feeling overused.

The stand out tracks for me however will have to be the more electronic tracks in ‘Pow Pow’ and ‘You Wanted a Hit’ – James Murphy’s signature blend of acoustic and electronic drums is quite spectacular and shines through on both tracks. ‘You Wanted a Hit’ has a long electronic intro but still contains large elements of an indie rock song, however the way in which the drums are looped and are the central focus throughout gives it this dance track vibe; ‘Pow Pow’ was the first single released off This is Happening and is everything I expected from LCD Soundsystem, a simple but effective indie take on electronica. A special mention has to go to ‘One Touch’ though due to its exceptional use the acid house bassline throughout, something that is used to good effect in 2017’s American Dream, and the multi-layered electronic chaos that is so well produced and constructed that it feels like sensory overload epitomised. This is Happening is a strong album and definitely the band’s most refined; it uses the building blocks of album’s one and two to form their signature sound on this album, even if some people would rank Sound of Silver above this album, I feel this is where the band achieved their full sound.