sound of silver - 97/100
i'm glad that i didn't include this album in last year's arbitrary music awards right after it leaked. i know that i probably would have put thom yorke ahead of it anyway. i know now, however, that this album is easily better than anything i came across last year. as an album it exhibits a weird balance of sounding incredibly cohesive and at the same time incredibly diverse. each song has its own world. even the songs that i don't care for that much make me shake it when they come on in the background and i'm not paying attention. this could be a good year in music with albums from radiohead, autolux, the white stripes, and whoever i'm forgetting, but this is a strong strong contender.
get innocuous! - 79
so the opener isn't really my gig. i am not a fan of the 80's, as you have to know by now. it has the mad 80's vibe, and i must admit that it does manage to move past blatant 80's ripoffs and pull its own weight. the rhythm is great. the vocals fit in perfectly. still, for me it's just a tad bit 'meh.' it starts to wear on me a bit after 7 minutes. what can i say. it's a solid, interesting track. it's just not for me.
time to get away - 94
this song kicks off one of the best four track spans i've heard on any album ever. it was my initial favorite, so i may have played it to death. great beat. great sort of frantic atmosphere when the song really decides to erupt. some of the best driving music i've ever come across. ass-shakin' fantastic.
north american scum - 95
my second chronological favorite. should have been my first. i've definitely definitely played this to death. this is where lcd soundsystem's well above average lyrics really start to shine. it's pretty much a law of nature that this song must be sung along with when played.
someone great - 98
instant classic. i guess this song is the runaway favorite, and for good reason. it's incredibly immersive, and it draws the listener in and drowns out whatever else is going on. it seems to constantly offer new and dynamic changes as it progresses without morphing into something unwieldy. perfect snow song. perfect sun song.
all my friends - 100
the piano might be a bit too loud and might become a bit monotonous for some. just maybe. really this rating is just my opinion vomited up onto the internet, so i know that few (if any) would agree with my perfect score (gasp!) on this one. certainly few consider this better than someone great. still, it's rare that a 7 1/2 minute song can be so captivating, at least to me. there are always sounds entering or exiting relatively effortlessly within the confines of the piano and drums.
us v them - 90
this song creeped up on me. i didn't pay it much attention until fairly recently, but it certainly holds its own with the rest of the album and makes good use of all 8 1/2 minutes without seeming too long.
watch the tapes - 89
for some reason, this song seems almost superfluous to me. i have no idea why. perhaps it doesn't fit in perfectly or something. great lyrics and vocals, perhaps the best lyrics on the album, actually. dominant base line. wonderful chorus. still, i never go out of my way to put this track on, i just enjoy it when it comes. another complete rump-shaker.
sound of silver - 67
easily easily the worst effort on the album. it doesn't really do anything for me vocals wise or instrumentally, and then it just sort of trails off and gets downright boring. it's the only track i'll probably skip every time.
new york, i love you but you're bringing me down - 95
fantastic closer. deceptively well-developed buildup to a crashing climax. great use of piano and great cues for guitar lines.
