MOG Editorial Review

Few bands get the chance to go out on top, but LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy did just that with the release of his third and final album. After starting his career as a dance-punk pioneer, Murphy began embracing everything from Brian Eno-influenced electronica to Bowie-style pop, and it's all built up to the stylistically diverse set of songs on This Is Happening. While it starts out quietly and downtempo, it only takes a few minutes for one of the album's loudest, most ecstatic moments on "Dance Yrself Clean," and "Drunk Girls" is the closest Murphy has come to a straightforward rock song. The real gems, though, come on the tracks that lean towards synth-pop, with "I Can Change" and closer "Home" dealing with getting older, falling in (and out of) love, and looking back on a near-flawless career.