After more than 8 years, and weeks of leaks and pseudo-leaks of the LP’s first single, you can finally listen to a proper new album from Daft Punk. It’s streaming in full over on the band’s iTunes landing page, which means fans can finally stop poring over those and 15-second samples and 10-hour loops of 15-second samples, and listen to all 74 minutes of the real thing.
At its core, first single “Get Lucky” was a disco track—it could have passed for a lost Chic track from the late ’70s—with the group’s signature robot voices added. There’s a similar fidelity to the past to much of the rest of the album. Daft Punk has always incorporated elements of disco into its music, but here they seem determined to school their fans on the roots of house music in disco’s history: Track 3, “Giorgio by Moroder,” even takes the synth pioneer’s spoken-word reflections on his career and sets them to music. It’s not something you’re likely to dance to at a disco or a music festival or anywhere, for that matter—only a few tracks seem designed to be hit singles—but the production is lush and provides a fitting tribute to the Italian producer.
Of course, Moroder isn’t the only guest. “Instant Crush” features Julian Casablancas and sounds like a Strokes track, complete with power chords strummed on electric guitars. “Lose Yourself to Dance” could make for an obvious follow-up single after the success of “Get Lucky,” with Pharell once again pleading with his dance partner to leave the club with him, over what sounds like more of Nile Rodgers’ work on the guitar. The Paul Williams-penned song goes to a place of vulnerable soft rock that fans would never expect on a Daft Punk album—Williams is the guy who wrote classics like “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainbow Connection”—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Other guests include producer Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon, Chilly Gonzales, and Panda Bear of Animal Collective. Let us know what you think in the comments.
Previously
“Real Deal” New Daft Punk Unveiled by Dutch DJ
