Reviews
"The Best Inspiration Should Come with Improvements, and Murphy's Are Vast." -- Grade: a, "James Murphy is at his cynical best....Backed by colorful electronic textures, infectious basslines and futuristic rock melodies, the singer/producer conveys the hard truths of life over nine tracks...", 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Drunk Girls' crackles with its fists on the dancefloor like 'Boys Keep Swinging,' while 'All I Want' unravels with some Fripp-ish guitar work...", 4 stars out of 5 -- "Here, he weaves all sorts of electronic distensions from robot disco to '80s synth-pop with a Brian Eno tribute thrown in.", "Suffused with an indefinable sense of melancholy, the likes of 'I Can Change,' 'Home' and 'Dance Yrself Clean' instill the rubbery electro with a tangible soul...", 3 stars out of 5 -- "The highlight of the album' Change,' is a dead ringer for Eurythmics' 'Love Is a Stranger'.", Ranked #36 in Mojo's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2010" -- "A funeral pyre of dance beats, electronic noise, cowbell and rousing choruses.", "Thanks to a medley of driving rhythms, sharp guitar parts and electronic-based melodies, the music rarely drags.", 4 stars out of 5 -- "The longs songs reveal Murphy's bottom-line agenda: He's still a dance guy at heart, and he knows it's his job to ignite parties and dances.", 4 stars out of 5 -- "Murphy's high register breaks at the refrain of 'in love,' and it's the most emotionally devastating dance-floor moment since New Order's heyday.", Ranked #9 in Uncut's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2010" -- "A gleamingly jaded sequel to 2007's Uncut Album Of The Year, SOUND OF SILVER.", "On THIS IS HAPPENING, Murphy once again shows off his encyclopedic knowledge of all things post-punk and zip-tight. But he's also swimming up some serious stuff himself, including Eno and David Bowie's sacrosanct Berlin trilogy.", Ranked #3 in Alternative Press's "10 Essential Albums of 2010" -- "He gets down with everything from inspired synth-pop, to epic, pulsing club shakers..."
