{mosimage}LCD SOUNDSYSTEM | Sound of Silver | DFA/Capitol

Remember when disco sucked? Remember a time long, long ago, when no self-respecting rock fan would dare acknowledge any sounds directed at a dance floor? LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy definitely remembers. And he’s very, very sorry.

There’s a particular liberation at the heart of Sound of Silver: It’s the sound of someone who only discovered the power of dance music recently, after taking E for the first time and having an epiphany over a Carl Craig record. Sound of Silver is the best dance record in years for people who don’t like dance music. Where LCD’s eponymous debut felt oddly restrained, SOS is a sweaty, uninhibited revelation.

Like any music geek worth his 12-inch collection, Murphy chooses reference points that are both astute and a little obvious: He makes quantum leaps on opening number “Get Innocuous,” referencing a wide sonic swath that includes Lodger-era Bowie, Kraftwerk and even his own music-snob-baiting early single, “Losing My Edge,” in just over seven propulsive minutes. “North American Scum” turns the self-loathing hipster stance into a Jesus Christ pose and makes it sound like the best party ever. The jumpy, piano-powered “All My Friends” is the most majestic moment LCD’s produced yet, a slow-burning crescendo that crashes with the force of Arcade Fire at their most epic.

Sound of Silver ends on an oddly earnest note; Murphy plays like he’s the Morrissey of Williamsburg with the wobbly ballad “New York I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down.” Oh Brooklyn, so much to answer for . . .

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