Daft Punk crafts one of the year's best with sleek, disco-inspired 'Random Access Memories'
Elliot Alpern
Managing EditorMay 21st, 2013
It started with the mysterious, 15-second ad during “SNL” way back in March: Just a Daft Punk logo, eclipsed by the fusion of the two iconic helmets, and the sweet, funky guitar chords that would eventually define the single-to-be “Get Lucky.” Even then, there was an air of something special — that this wasn’t just Daft Punk playing the part of typical house juggernaut releasing typical new music. No, if the ad had anything to insinuate, it was that Daft Punk’s newest release was something to be teased — the harbinger of some momentous, funky disco-pocalypse.
So when Pharrell’s lofty vocals propelled “Get Lucky” to “hit single” status (with some already calling it this summer's anthem), the speculation over Random Access Memories only skyrocketed. Would expectations be met? Betrayed? Exceeded?
In a way, possibly all three. But there’s no mistaking that RAM is one of the best albums of the year. And even if after you‘ve grown jaded from the twangs and synths looped at some party for a few run-throughs, you have to admit: Daft Punk delivers.
For one, this isn’t the usual Daft Punk — any DP un-initiated who took a liking to “Get Lucky” don’t have to dive into house music headfirst. The sixth track “Lose Yourself to Dance” is the obvious evolution from the grooving hit: Pharrell similarly croons over funky guitars, imploring us with its titular message. “I know your life is speeding and it isn’t stopping / Here, take my shirt and just go ahead and wipe up all the / Sweat, sweat, sweat.” Like Pharrell needed any help playing the disco stud.
And when it comes to dancing, RAM has got you covered. The intro “Give Life Back to Music” might just be a mission statement to the power of danceability, while “Fragments of Time” is subtle and understated — and yet infectious enough to already imagine the remix possibilities.
Amazingly enough, though, RAM isn’t a dance album — or at least, doesn’t even seem wholly devoted to dance. Detractors may call on that as a sign that Daft Punk is softening, but that’s not even close to the truth. “Within,” the fourth song on the record, begins with a slow piano and doesn’t really ever evolve from there — but the auto-tuned vocals make for an enjoyable, obviously-Daft-Punk product that doesn’t rely on synths. The ensuing “Instant Crush,” which features Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, picks up with the same sense of melancholy — but the chorus will perk your ears and leave you ready to give it a second play.
“Contact,” the closing track on the album, is pretty spiffy in its own right. At its base, the song is pretty cool — building synths are matched by a furious drum beat, serving as a suitable climax for the record at large. And anyone with some time to kill should try to find a video of “Contact” synced up with the final minutes of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Unfortunately, the original source has been deleted due to copyright violation (because clearly there was so much profit to be made), but in the meantime, another will likely spring up (or you can try syncing them yourself!).
In any case, Random Access Memories succeeds as a Daft Punk album more than a dance album — and listeners should take care to distinguish between the two. Yes, there are opportunities to get loose; “Lose Yourself to Dance” and “Get Lucky” should see to that. But as an entire work of art, Random Access Memories deviates from the usual house filler, and Daft Punk provides even more evidence that the duo is one of the coolest, sleekest acts in the galaxy.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Mon, 27 May 2013 14:22:34 -0400