Daft Punk = Robotic Elevator Disco: A Review of "Random Access Memories" album

If nothing else, I must say that this album
cover is pretty badass.

I've been known to complain from time to time about the music that is being produced and distributed today.  I'm seemingly always looking for a musical messiah to come and save us all from the One Directions and Nicki Minajs of the world.  Lately, I've heard a lot of praise being heaped upon Daft Punk and how they are the new revolution.  I'm always open to new things.  I will try any band or song that you shove in front of me at least once because as much as I love Pink Floyd, the Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana, and others, I can only listen to them so much before becoming a little tired of it.  I'm always searching for those bands or artists to fill those gaps of boredom that I can find in the classics.  I say all of this to let you, dearest reader, that I bought and listened to this album with the purest intentions and admittedly with some excitement.  I was excited to hear what could possibly be the new wave...and then I heard the first track and then the second and so on. 

From the start, I am quickly reminded of disco but not just plain old disco but rather very specific disco band, Zapp & Roger.  It's voicebox/electronica/old school disco beats which is fine, but I've heard it before.  Here is a quick comparison:

 

 

It goes on and on throughout the album.  It is a completely fine album but I hardly see any way that this is revolutionary unless robotic elevator disco is revolutionary.  Besides the quick Zapp and Rogers reference, I immediately thought of the "robotic elevator disco" reference which when my wife heard it she completely agreed.  I don't want to sound like an old guy who doesn't understand music but I'm really lost on this one.  I see that they (Are Daft Punk a "they"?  Is it a group or a person) trying to do, mix old disco sounds with new sounds and artists.  They(?) throw a couple of nice guest appearances by Pharrell Williams and Julian Casablancas (from the Strokes) but I feel that their talents are wasted because they spend 90% of their time doing repetitive lines through a voicebox/autotune thing. 

 

 

I know it sounds like I'm taking a huge dump on this album but I'm really not.  If it didn't get all of the hype that it has, I could easily enjoy this album as a nice thing to play in the background as I work or read.  It's fine, but if I'm in the mood for real disco, I'll put on some KC & the Sunshine Band or the BeeGees. 

 

My recommendation is that you can listen to it for free online through Spotify or Youtube, but I don't think I would go and buy it with money.