LCD Soundsystem's third and final album is an ambitious trip into the sounds of dance and rock fusion. A lot of strong influences coming from the 70s and 80s on this one-especially from the realms of post-punk, disco, and new wave. I already have an affinity for this music, so it was fantastic to hear a modern band just do it right.

This Is Happening is the third studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2010 and in the US on May 18, 2010 on DFA Records. It was recorded over the course of 2009 and early 2010 in the Mansion recording studio in Los Angeles. The first single, "Drunk Girls", was released in April 2010, with a music video directed by Spike Jonze

Love is a murderer," he sings on "I Can Change". Murphy's vast perspective and all-knowing mien are invaluable assets to his success. And on the virtuoso rambler "Pow Pow", he seems to locate a perch where he can "relax" and "see the whole place" and understand "advantages to both" sides of any argument.

Becoming acquainted with LCD Soundsystem is not exactly charming. Such a potentially arduous relationship takes certain dedication, which includes patiently waiting through conscientiously planned buildups and vocal breakthroughs. Before getting into the meat and potatoes of This is Happening, singer James Murphy is the focal point of most of the album, rather than the repetitive beats and dance music that would appear much less without such a dramatic singer. Murphy is often adapting his voice with each song’s particular mood, like such exemplified in Dance Yrself Clean which begins rather glumly, yet moves towards an ecstasy-laced synth rager with Murphy swiftly changing tones without any hesitation. Meanwhile, in the outrageously fun, yet undoubtedly foolish Drunk Girls, Murphy’s chipper side is showcased.

LCD Soundsystem's third and final album is an ambitious trip into the sounds of dance and rock fusion. This Is Happening doesn’t quite reach the monumental heights of Sound of Silver, but it serves as an almost-there companion and further proof that LCD Soundsystem is one of the most exciting and interesting bands around in the 2000s.

This Is Happening is the third - and reportedly final - LCD Soundsystem record. Murphy’s given a number of reasons for making it his last album under the LCD Soundsystem moniker: that the album’s a dead format; that most bands stop producing quality material after their third album; and that he doesn’t want LCD Soundsystem to get too big. But Murphy’s also described the recording process this time around as brutal, which might have something to do with his decision. The album was recorded in a d studio in Rick Rubin’s .

Sure LCD Soundsystem songs are fun, but they also make you question why they are fun, whether they are actually fun, what fun means, whether we can ever answer these questions, and whether when all is done, are you happy with what you’re doing (to quote Jason Lytle). It’s meta-party music. Could This Is Happening be a concept album? The double meanings abound, including the title that could be describing a kickin’ party or the current state of our souls. Album opener Dance Yourself Clean is a near apology, letting the faithful listeners know that people always want words from him, but the words that are contained are not meant for us. The unreliable narrator is set and Murphy is free to teach his lessons without fear of rebuke. Because when someone says present company excluded, we know that it really means I forgot you were here.

There's as much allusion in LCD Soundsystem's best productions as there is creation. This is Happening doesn't succeed as mere gold nugget pastiche though. Murphy embeds these references into the kind of physical trap-jams on which he and the DFA brand have always thrived. Listen to the vulcanized bass on "Pow Po. Dipping into his deadest delivery, he even alludes to label-mate the Juan Maclean on the android electro of "One Touch," with its Nancy Whang vocal fills. But it's perhaps on opener "Dance Yrself Clean" where Murphy offers the clearest balance between the intimate and the cathartic that LCD Soundsystem has been tracing since.

Following up Sound of Silver was never going to be easy for LCD Soundsystem. There are no attempts to hit the top of the charts (a point made crystal clear in the song You Wanted a Hit ); conversely, there are no attempts to dirty up the sound or make it more challenging.