Album/Release: This is Happening/
Sounds Like: Talking Heads, David Bowie, The Rapture, Kraftwerk,
MSTRKRFT, Cansei de Ser Sexy
James Murphy may have crafted his finest masterpiece with This Is Happening. The album opener 'Dance Yrslf Clean' is long, yet fun and reminds me a lot of The Rapture, minus that bands indie-dance posturing. 'Drunk Girls' may be the catchiest single this year, and has the best video I have seen in ages. 'One Touch' has a very kraut-pop feel, with a cheerleader chorus, and joyfully bounces between Eno/Bowie and Kraftwerk influences. 'All I Want' with it’s deep, repetitive keyboards helps you imagine what it would have sounded like if Thomas Dolby had been a member of the Psychedelic Furs, it’s dark and nostalgic, with a nice bit of noise towards the end. 'I Can Change' once again lays out a Thomas Dolby feel , using repetitive beats, a repetitive chorus, some 808’s and echoing keys to make a rather nostalgic feeling dance song. 
'You Wanted A Hit' is a nice song about frustrations with the record industry. 'Pow Pow' mixes a very tribal beat , sporadic guitar, and talking vocals to nice effect creating the feeling of being in a dream. 'Somebody’s Calling Me' is another inspired by Berlin era Bowie with a tune very reminiscent of Iggy Pop's Nightclubbing. 'Home' returns to the Talking Heads world beat feel, takes some very Eno keyboards and Byrne-esque melodies, and does a lovely job closing out the album. It’s weird, because I spend a lot of time talking about influences on this album, but it doesn’t
sound derivative, or even like it’s ripping people off. It just manages to be a fun ode to the past, that makes you want to dance.
-T-Bone
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