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James Murphy Doesn’t Look As Excited for the New LCD Soundsystem Album As We Are

We’ve gotten the release date, the first single, “Drunk Girls,” and the fake Michael Musto fight from the upcoming LCD Soundsystem album. Now we also have a title and an album cover! The name? The possibly Almost Famous– and Michael Jackson–influenced This Is Happening. The art? A solo James Murphy solemnly boogying, his most notable appearance on his own cover since the “Losing My Edge” single. So, we appreciate the dancing and the spiffy attire, but why so down? Had Murphy not recorded, and subsequently listened to the fun-loving “Drunk Girls” when he was doing the photo shoot? Does this mean the rest of the album is not quite as lighthearted? Are we in line for more superb introspective songs about aging, like Sound of Silver’s “All My Friends”? Or is he maybe just intently focusing on his thumb?

James Murphy Doesn’t Look As Excited for the New LCD Soundsystem Album As We Are