Joe Theobald, aka DJ Captain Wormhole, Looks at all things vinyl 

IT starts with those familiar heart-tugging fuzzy booms, Gretsch drums, floating keys and synthetic, twinkling bells. Murphy simmers out his twee lyrics about love sitting patiently, bad dreams and ringing alarms. It’s classic LCD Soundsystem.

Sonically there is very little progression taking place here since 2010’s This Is Happening. Which is, quite frankly, an absolute miracle. In turbulent times such as these it’s just what the malnourished public-sector worker ordered.

Other Voices steps up in second place with further staple sounds - drudging groove-rich bass, rapturous calls echoing on, BELLS, Nancy Whang tripped out entreaties, COW BELLS. It all crescendos to a familiar electro-psych oblivion, primed for the Soulwax remix. It feels just like all the nice bits of 10 years ago.

I Used To is an excellent pop song that will never make it on to an actual commercial radio station, because it’s too good.

Change Yr Mind – it’s all ‘Yr’ and ‘Tonite’ on the sleeve notes, utter disregard for the Queen’s – nice guitar squeals and bass.

How Do You Sleep? is exceptional. Reminds me a bit of The Cure on Pornography but a lot less urgency.

Call The Police is the weakest track on the record. Maybe that’s why they made it their teaser back in May? Just to mess with the fans. It’s good, better than the best most could do, just not as good as the rest of this LP.

They wrap it up with the soft throbbing of Black Screen – coming in at over 12 minutes this one certainly slots in to the slow burn category of LCD song format. Almost certainly the best track on the album, which is almost certainly a masterpiece.

I’ll need a few further listens to fully cement my opinion but the early signals are very positive from American Dream. And the packaging is nice – the established matt finish gatefold formula.

Thanks, James, from a relieved Cpt. WH. 21 thumbs up.