Discovery of the Year??? (Discovery - Daft Punk)

Member Name: lifesucks

Product:	Discovery - Daft Punk
Date:	29/04/01 (613 review reads)
Rating:

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Having not heard of Daft Punk when their first album, called Homework, came out. Therefore the first I heard of them was the single One More Time when it was released and boy oh boy did it get played a lot.

However, having got the new album Discovery, I have now realised that that is not Daft Punk's real 'sound' as One More Time was (in my opinion) quite 'poppy' and unlike many of their songs, had a set of lyrics. I shall now go through each song in turn.

1. One More Time: If you have only heard one Daft Punk song then most likely by far it is going to be this one. It needs little introduction with it's catchy rhythm and quick beat but I think that as the first release from the album, it gave a false impression of what type of music Daft Punk are all about.

2. Aerodynamic: The bell tolls at the start of this track are rather ominous of things to come but it soon turns into the very repetitive actual tune. I don't like it much and I am almost sure that I have heard the guitar riff and the similar bit at the end in a Sega game 5 or 6 years ago. If anyone can inform on that then please do so.

3. Digital Love: This track has a great start and I think that it has to be my favourite song on the whole CD. Unlike many of the others it has proper lyrics and these take a more important role than the music in this case. Strangely, a part of the tune about three minutes in sounds like the old Grandstand title music. Or maybe that's just me. Great song to sit and relax to.

4. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: This has a catchy rhythm as start and lyrics in parts but it doesn't really get going until almost a minute into the track which is a difference to most of the rest. It is quite stoppy-starty and doesn't roll along smoothly and I get the impression of a hint of some retro tunes in there. A slightly better than average track I think.

5. Crescendolls: With a hard drum beat to start
with it sounds quite promising until the continually repeated and very annoying two word lyrics come into the song. I have to admit I hate this track and almost always skip it. A waste of a track which was a big shame, especially so early on in the album.

6 Nightvision: Unlike almost all of the previous tracks, Nightvision is very calm and slow compared to the previous tracks. You may have to turn up the volume as it is very quiet and it is also very short at under two minutes. It makes a good break to the fast rhythms and is ideal for crashing out and relaxing to with it's almost sleepy rhythm. It would have been nice if it had been longer but it is still a very good number.

7. Superheroes: The toy drum roll at the start announces this song appropriately to it's title before a proper drum beat kicks in. Then repetitive 'oh yeah's get continually louder until they reach their height and they ruin this track in my opinion. After a couple minutes of that I am always relieved when they stop to reveal a soothing beat and rhythm beneath. I think that the first two minutes are trash but the last two are quality. Shame about the words.

8. High Life: We get straight into the heart of the tune which I am afraid to say is more repetitive lyrics throughout the song and I can't even work out what these words are which makes it even more pointless. It is much the same as the last tune and these are quite frankly annoying.

9. Something About Us: A change to the norm with a quiet and slow beginning before a gentle, lilting beat arrives. It slowly builds up until the lyrics start and they are good ones mixed together with a lot of 'wow' sounds in the melody. I like this track a lot and is a pleasant surprise to the previous few tracks.

10. Voyager: Another slow tune and as before, another one full of quality with a steady beat and rhythm. Could even come out as a dance single or something I think although if i
t was speeded up I think it would probably ruin it. The up and down part near to the middle is great I think and is fully relaxing. Would definitely get this on a single if it was all I had heard and I did not want to get the album. This is either my favourite or close second to Digital Love on the CD, even though the two are very different sounding.

11. The third slow one in a row but I just can't get enough of them personally. With the up and down organ sound to start the track, it always sounds as if it is going to speed up but the tempo is always the same. It's a good tune but not the best on the CD.

12. Short Circuit: It's back to the upbeat tunes again and this one is one of the faster ones on the album. As the name suggests it is very electronic sounding with lots of extended 'wow' sounds throughout. It does slow down somewhat towards the end however.

13. Face To Face: Heavy drum beat start and then into the tune with some lyrics. It sounds in some respects retro 80s to me and is a very stoppy-starty track. Doesn't flow well but that's the idea I suppose.

14. Too Long: The name says it and at ten minutes long it really should have been cut down to size at perhaps 6-7 minutes long. It starts with a steady and regular hand clap beat with repeated 'too long's. It doesn't really get going until a couple of minutes from the end but I would be surprised if most people would be bothered to wait for this.

A nice feature was the inclusion of a daftcard in the back of the case which allows you via a special number on the individual card to access the site www.daftcard.com where you can find many features and goodies. However, if you want to know what you will have to get a daftcard somehow or get the album!

Overall the album was very mixed. I thought that many of the faster tracks were let downs for me, especially tracks 5, 6 and 8 whereas I thought that the slower tracks we
re brilliant and would pay dearly for a whole CD of such slow beat quality. Having said that, the faster tracks with proper lyrics such as Digital Love scored highly with me as well. The album wasn't everything I had heard it to be here on DooYoo but it is all a matter of music preference.

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