Good Evening,
So instead of sleeping I thought it would be way more exciting to stay up listen to Daft Punk's new album (finally) and write you beautiful people a blog post. I will obviously regret this tomorrow and there is a high chance that it will be, if you pardon my French, shit. But, I digress, let's get this show on the road.
I was really looking forward to this, as a long time Daft Punk fan I was eager to hear their new stuff. Their marketing was very smart, they decided the stream the album a week in advanced on I-Tunes, to create buzz, after the release of 'Get Lucky' new fans arrived and perhaps less interested in their older stuff, so they needed their attention sustained. Boy, did this do that. When Get Lucky was released I felt that they had somewhat lost that classic Daft Punk-iness that made them a great band. Feel free to disagree with the definition of 'great' but you have to admit they had something. A little something that shook up conventional music. It wasn't all good, they struggled at points and towards the latter half of their career I felt they suffered. But 'Homework' and 'Discovery' (Oh my lord, that's a good album- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJr2SVFTI1o) were great albums. They just had a great 'sound' in their early days. Anyway, I am not denying the fact that 'Get Lucky' is a good song, it is catchy as hell and I like it. But, all I am saying is that it wasn't very Daft Punk.
So, I can't say I am going in to this review with an entirely open mind. 'Get Lucky' has somewhat tainted me but I have been told good things. Here we go (for real this time). A Track by Track review of Random Access Memories (Which you can buy here- https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/random-access-memories/id617154241)
I also want to say how amazing is the album art? Love it.
1. Give Life Back to Music
Solid start, enough like 'Get Lucky' to have a hook. Amazing guitar work as usual and got me interested by being enough like their old stuff. Also, nice symbolism for their come back. It's jazzy and, with the risk of sounding like my mother, would certainly get you dancing. It has really good climatic build up and no doubt got me excited. Perhaps they could have dragged out the ending less but made acceptable by their music talent.
2. The Game of Love
Straight off, tune. I was worried they would try and be too 'Top 40's' and despite having made changes to their 'sound' they are pulling it off with the same musical flair. This is going on my break-up playlist. The sort of song you'd listen to crying in the rain (I didn't call this blog indie for nothing...) I can't help thinking of a family guy scene when I hear this.
They have still got it.
3. Giorgio by Moroder
Ha! People who buy this album just based on 'Get Lucky' are going to be insanely confused when they get to this track. I barely understand myself, but I like it. I searched up the guy the song is based on, I suggest you read this- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Moroder. His influence on this song makes it epic. Never mind the beautiful use of synths (And yes synths are beautiful). A nine minute long song without lyrics (apart from Giorgio talking) I'm telling you new Daft Punk fans are in for a shock. Again, amazing climatic build up. Would be amazing live. That ending is almost poetic.
4. Within
This album, is a bit mismatched. Not the sort of album I would sit and listen start to end. That's not to say it's bad, not at all. The lyrics here are gorgeous, that's one thing you can always say about Daft Punk, they are relatable as hell. This is nice, to me it seems the perfect way, to sum up adolescent confusion, or really any loss of self.
5. Instant Crush (feat. Julian Casablancas)
Going to have to give Julian Casablancas a listen after this, their lead has a great voice. See, this is more like the 'Get Lucky' top 40 thing I was talking about it. But, they are relaunching their brand and that requires popularity, there's no doubt that it has that classic Daft Punk edge to it but it isn't as prevalent. Not necessarily a bad thing, trying to find a new sound requires trying different things. I just think, old Daft Punk fans, will be disappointed. But I do like this, it has that same catchy hook as 'Get Lucky'. I think it is a little more complex though.
6. Lose Yourself to Dance (feat. Pharrell Williams)
Another Pharrell Williams collaboration? Lovely. An upbeat, poppy number with plenty of room for foot tapping and groove shakin'. Yeah, I went there. Though maybe I shouldn't have... Not much to say, it's catchy, I like catchy. Again, the Daft Punk-iness doesn't kick in to later in the song. But it's not turning me off the album as a whole so they are achieving 'the ultimate goal' as it were.
7. Touch (feat. Paul Williams)
The more I listen the more I am starting to remember that Daft Punk is definitely late night music. This is one of the somewhat weirder tracks on the album. It's perhaps a bit too far away in the other direction from the rest of the tracks but, you never know what you are going to get with Daft Punk. Once you get past the intro, with the mildly terrifying over voice... It's actually not bad. Paul Williams sounds shockingly like David Bowie. It's not bad but only gets decent past the two minute mark but by the end I was begging for more. Also, the middle section with that brass, solid work lads. Wait to pull it back guys
8. Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)
Can I just start by saying I would have separated the collaborations out a little? However it is the single released and as a general rule it goes in the middle. But, since when do Daft Punk follow general rules? Anyway, not much to say that I haven't already said. It grows more on me each time I hear it. Pharrell Williams has a great voice and its catchy. When the chorus kicks in, after hearing it twice, I doubt there was anyone who wasn't singing along. It has pretty good lyrics for a number 1 hit and as always Daft Punk have amazing guitar work. But, not my favourite track on the album by a long shot.
9. Beyond
Listen, to those violins and drums. Daft Punk have still got it. In the words of Dewey Finn, 'You got it and I don't know what it is but you got it' This is just stunning. The instrumentals are incredible. Not much to say, it's pretty flawless as tracks go.
10. Motherboard
I am enjoying all these computer references peppered throughout this album. This is nice. The sort of track that it would be easy to use in any kind of slow driving scene in a film. The drumming is nice, very nice. They use maracas half way through so it must be good. It gets you settled and relaxed and then shakes you about and tells you to wake up because guess what? We are still amazing. We still put whole instrumental tracks on our albums and you will enjoy them.
11. Fragments of Time (feat. Todd Edwards)
Every singer on this album has an incredible voice. This might be my favourite song on the album. It seems to be the perfect mix between their new sound and their older stuff. Lyrics, instruments, synths and vocals are all just lovely. It has just the right amount of that upbeat, sunshine feel to make you feel warm inside. The use of synths towards the latter half of the song, just gives me shivers. It's pretty great.
12. Doin' it Right (feat. Panda Bear)
First, I am fan of Animal Collective, the band to which Panda Bear belongs, so this collaboration excited me no end. I was not disappointed. It is just lovely. A little rockier than the other tracks on the album but works so well with Panda Bear's sound. It's more chilled than the other 'catchy' songs on this album but it has been done so well. A genius collaboration.
13. Contact
Final track? Needs to be epic. (Spoiler alert!) It is. Proper old school. The astronauts commentary, the organ playing at the start. A fantastic conclusion to this album. In which Daft Punk blast out all their immense musical talent and vision in one 6- minute miracle. That build-up at the end was so intense and possibly the most dramatic way to round off an album ever.
Overall thoughts
I'm going go ahead and wipe off all the sweat, after that (Listen to track 6 and that'll be hilarious). Though I was plenty apprehensive about this album, they did well. Very well. It's not too different and they have managed to maintain their sound, even if it does kick in late in a few tracks.
8/10
Favourite tracks
Got to be between, 'Fragments of Time' and 'Doin' it Right'. Though that is likely to change the more I listen to album.
More than worth a listen
Rose x
P.S. It hit past midnight on Monday while I was writing this and I-Tunes cut me off the free stream of the album because it was officially released. So this took a lot of effort and £8.99. Feel special.
