Random Access Memories

So Daft Punk have a new album out. It's the first thing they've done since they wrote the incredible score for the film Tron: Legacy. "R.A.M." was said by the French electronic duo to be a call back to the music of the 70's and 80's, and while I wasn't there at the time,, you can definitely feel a sense of nostalgia in these songs, and there is a hint of mellow optimism throughout.

The first single to come off of this album was "Get Lucky" with Pharrell Williams, and it was an absolute joy to listen to. It is definitely a great summer song that epitomises the 70's vibe of the album, and it cannot be denied that it is influenced by the stylings of an early Michael Jackson. I would say that this song is probably the most positive sounding of all of those on the album, but this is not a bad thing. Although the album is optimistic, there is a hint of melancholy in many of the songs especially in the latter half of the album.

Other highlights on this album for me are "Instant Crush" and "Doin' It Right". The former features Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas, and the word that I think best describes this song is slick. The beats are slick, the guitars are slick, and Casablancas's Vocoder enhanced voice makes him sound different, but appropriately robotic. "Doin' It Right" is another song that encompasses the mellow optimism of the album. Panda Bear is on the vocals for this song, and I think it is a huge success. It is the least groovy song of the album, but it is nice to hear Daft Punk playing a song that is purely electronic.

One of the coolest parts of the album is the song "Giorgio by Moroder". This song contains a monologue by Giorgio Moroder where he describes his musical rise and influences. The whole song builds up during Moroder's speech and hits a climax of tasty synth sounds. You can sense the freedom that Daft Punk were feeling when writing and recording this song. "Lose Yourself to Dance" is another track featuring the vocal stylings of Pharrell Williams, and it is a natural companion to "Get Lucky" with its sweet guitar riffs and clean drum beats that really grooves.

Those were the highlights for me so far on this album, but I'm sure that many of the other songs will grow on me over the coming weeks. This album is exactly what I would like to listen to on a long drive in the car. It is relaxing and groovy, and is distinctly cool. It isn't perfect, I mean, as it stands, I think the ordering of the track list isn't particularly smooth, and a couple of the songs in the latter half of the album are kind of forgettable, but, again, they might grow on me. It's early days. "Random Access Memories" is Not That Shit.