DAFT PUNK - DISCOVERY:

i have seen the future of dance music...and it is decidedly retro.

discovery: what a perfect title for this: it's a discovery for the listener and an audio document of what daft punk have discovered since 1997's homework. "it's been too long," the last track begins, and i can't help but concur. i don't think i really have the pedigree to judge this as a dance album and to consider it within that context; for that reason, i like forward to hearing what tim has to say about it. i'll instead try my best to review it as a pop album and, happily enough, discovery is more than willing to accommodate me.

in a year i'm fairly certain was 1999, the basement jaxx's debut album remedy became one of the most favorably reviewed albums of the decade, and at the time it seemed to merit every plaudit hurled in its general direction. what seemed to crop up most often in reviews of the album were it's sense of fun and it's eclectic approach , incorporating many different styles -- flamenco, funk, reggae, hip-hop, avant-garde noise -- and yet ending with a product that was dance to its core. remedy seemingly breathed new life into the new genre and suggested a myriad of possibilities.

since then, if i listened to the album once, i'd be a little surprised. ultimately, once the hype passed, it seemed that i was more into the idea of a dance album or, rather, dance artists who weren't afraid to experiment. realizing that i've been wrong before, i'm a bit hesitant to say that i think that daft punk have succeeded where the jaxx -- not necessarily failed, maybe where they lacked. the main difference between the two albums is that, listening to discovery, the listener is struck by a feeling that the duo don't seem to care whether or not what they've created could be classified as "dance" -- and, to me, that's liberating.

and, yes, frequently while listening to discovery, you may wonder whether or not you've bought the right album. their debut, homework, was heavily rooted in house music and, since they've been away, artists ranging from madonna to modjo have had hits using what folks have called "the daft punk sound" -- mechanical beats, heavy use of filtering, a repeated vocal hook which may or may not be tweaked. "one more time," the hit single now playing on a station near you, kicks off the album and simultaneously acts as a kiss-off to their old style; they've so much in store for the listener that they can afford to just cast off the sound, giving it to those less fortunate.

the next track, "aerodynamic" begins with the toll of a bell, as if to say, "daft punk is dead! long live daft punk!" the opening five tracks of this album, and i'm really struggling to not sound hyperbolic here, are as fine as any first five i'v heard in, at the very least, recent times and demonstrate within the span of 20 minutes or so just what the new daft punk is capable of. besides "one more time," there's "aerodynamic" and its hybrid of house and poodle rock; the sunshine pop of "digital love," the answer to the question, "what if i actually liked steely dan?"; "harder, faster, better, stronger" which is required listening for anyone planning on employing a vocoder any time soon; and the manic, thumping house of "crescendolls." an interlude, "nightvision" is strategically placed next, as its swirling, ambient textures, the soundtrack for 2 am, sunday, allow the listener to catch their breath and get ready for what's to come.

the rest of the album, though it really does try, understandably can't keep up the pace but still smokes just about anything else you're likely to hear this year. highlights include the hard house of "superheroes," the sweet "something about us" which is like countrymen air tackling michael mcdonald or boz skaggs, and the electrofunk of "short circuit" which does just that at the end, suggesting nothing more than aphex twin. you'll also hear funk, more house, gossamer loops, giorgio moroder, and kraftwerk. oh yeah, they're getting totally 80s on your ass.

"too long" ends the album, and with its placement and length -- nearly 10 minutes -- gives the impression that the duo intended this to be an epic, their grand statement. i'm reminded of a comment that one of them made in the mixmag interview regarding "one more time." to paraphrase poorly, he said that the break is so long on "one more time," that it's ridiculous; the song itself is the breakdown. similarly, "too long," while enjoyable and rarely dull, is a bit ridiculous; the album itself is their grand statement. daft punk turn their backs to the future in favor of paying homage to the past, using homework's "teachers" as discovery's raison d'etre. the end result one-ups many of their inspirations, taking the spirit of the 12" and applying it to an album, an album where the tracks work equally well both on their own and also as a complete work. i certainly hope that a better album comes along this year: we should be so lucky. for now, there's nothing left to do but press "play." one more time? no, no, no: again & again.
-fred solinger | steal this link! | discuss

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