(Single from album, "Random Access Memories")
I'm now going to start by being something that I can rarely pull off successfully - frank. Daft Punk, perhaps famously for those who move in the same conversationally excitable circles as I, really do have a habit of pissing me off. Big time.
Sonically, the French dance music duo are superb; their production cannot be flawed and the groundbreaking sounds and beats are truly faultless. All of this is true - true of the first time you hear their music that is...
The main reason for these robotically disguised electro artists' continual plummet, face-first into the classic contemporary dance artist trap, remains no mystery however. Since 1997, their 'exciting-on-the-initial-listen' and polished, Eurodance aesthetic has been rehashed more times than the Smiths' material (and that is saying something). Plus, to make matters worse, the lyrics have remained consistently appalling, which one might say is a trademark of dance music; to me, that feels like a shortcoming, especially given the high quality of Daft Punk's sound. My personal favourite in this minefield has always been "Around The World" with it's 96-or-so repeats of one line, which, damningly, is revealed even prior to listen #1 by the title of the track itself...
ARRRARARARARAGHAGAGAHAGAHAHAGAGAAHAGAGH!
Well, with "Get Lucky", the lead single from the duo's long anticipated fourth album, there's some change in the formula, but also some renewal of old habits at the same time...
The most noticeable similarity to the band's older work is the funky vibe; it's a very 70s, disco sound, though this in itself represents one of the differences; whereas tracks from "Homework", "Discovery" and "Human After All" have taken the dance sound and electrified it with a more modern synthetic aesthetic, "Get Lucky" returns to a more glammed up, analog, original sounding variation of the tone, which, given the contents of the currently plagued UK charts, is a welcoming, unique sound. It sounds like the pair have really nailed their sound and that's quite a nice touch.
Another change is the presence of a proper guest vocalist. (For those of you reciting the rap-rerelease of "Harder Better Faster", Kanye West does not, and never did, count; that's just...well, an abomination of an already less-than-desireable sound. Period.) Here Pharrell Williams lends his groovaaaay vocal to this suitably mellow track which packs a punchy, rounded and damn smooth bass-line as well as some dancey, disco beats. Nice. Good stuff.
That said, however suave the addition of Williams and guitarist Nile Rodgers appears at first, reoccurring, almost flamboyantly, is the age-old dilemma of the lyrical content here; admittedly, more words are used in 4 minutes than are uttered in the remainder of the band's discography combined (probably) - but ask yourself this: WHAT IS BEING SAID HERE? And ultimately, as you will find after the most basic of analysis', the answer is nothing. Ok, yes, it's groovy, admittedly, and you can sway around drunkenly on a dancefloor to it, but it speaks no truth. It doesn't make a political statement.
It's just another song about sex.
I also really dislike the production; for me, Williams' vocal is too round and frontal in the mix, standing out crisply and overly defined in front of the guitars.
The worst part of all this has been the overdriven state of Reddit users in the last month or so, anticipating the release of what has ended up being a rather so-so, 4 minute disco track. Given the hype around it's release, and the fact that "Get Lucky"'s entry into the iTunes store made the headlines of the music news, I think the result is disappointing. Don't get me wrong - it's a nice song to dance to and have running in the background, but I find myself asking myself the same thing I always do when listening to a song that doesn't grab me and doesn't utilise a formula that I'm especially attached to - how is it any different to what I've heard before?
What it is important however, is to take this song not exclusively on its own merits, but to also compare it to what's around at the moment. Like I say, this is phenomenal (in sonic quality at least) for a pop song and deserves its #1 success, almost wholly. And for a dance song? Well, it isn't the very best, but it's certainly a well executed observation of the selected tone. There are also some great remixes, which is, again, something of a rarity in today's pop music. In fact, so good is the official 10:33 Daft Punk Remix, that it gets this track an extra star on the rating; showcasing the entire song in all its glitzy glory, the 10 minute + remix highlights the dancey prowess, beautifully (and is even included below).
So there you have it. For some people, the song of summer 2013. For me, one of the most confusing and hard to review releases of the year.
Well, each to their own...
★★★★
Versions of "Get Lucky"
Single Version - 4:08
Album Version - 6:07
Daft Punk Remix - 10:33