Mysterious Lotus Casebook ~ ep. 31

All these years, he's always been alone. You are the only friend I've ever seen him with.

16. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007)

LCD Soundsystem’s 2017 comeback American Dream was a bit of an anticlimax. Not because the album was bad at all, or because it had suffered from overhyping; but more because LCD Soundsystem are so inherently tied to the 2000s that it felt like an odd throwback – not yet far enough removed to be nostalgic and not different enough to feel in sync with the changing times. It was a solid album, but it had an inescapable sense of redundancy, a trait James Murphy has spent his whole career aggressively trying to avoid.  When ‘Losing my Edge’ first dropped in 2002 it helped define a fledging scene that Murphy’s ascendancy across the decade came to match – his referential, self-deprecating lyrics full of pop culture references and meta-commentary were a stark contrast to the navel-gazing that had defined much of the 90s; and his scuzzy beat-making, ironic rock star posturing and devout Bowie worship became touchstones for the whole dance-punk scene, from Franz Ferdinand to The Klaxons. The crest of this wave was LCD Soundsystem’s second album Sound of Silver, which took the Daft Punk influences of their self-titled record and grafted them completely onto the frame of wiry post-punk and Berlin era Bowie. It’s a unique sound, even amongst the vast sea of genre peers and shameless imitators. Murphy is highly skilled producer, unafraid of shamelessly incorporating his influences but bold enough to transcend them and create something new. ‘Get Innocuous!’ opens the record with a looping, lyrical drum machine pulse, before slowly shuddering into life with a tapestry of rhythmic textures that underpin the woozy, auto-harmonised vocals, sounding like Tom Verlaine and Brian Eno having an anxious dance-off. ‘Time to Get Away’ is more direct, with Murphy bringing out a surprisingly soulful croon over the stiff funk beat and clashing bass-lines, whilst ‘North American Scum’ doubles down on the driving rhythms and self-aware ranting of their debut. By contrast, the second half of the record is the inverse of this, with both ‘Us V Them’ and ‘Watch the Tapes’ looping fuzzy bass and clanking drums into a punkish rush, whilst the title track mirrors ‘Get Innocuous!’ in it’s vocal manipulations and throbbing rhythms, but instead of remaining taut and tense the twitchy beat and grumbling bass are slowly consumed by the fragments of distant piano and synth surrounding them. The emotional centre point of the album (and the high point of Murphy’s whole career) is the incredible one-two punch of ‘Someone Great’ and ‘All My Friends’. The former spins a devastating universal tale of resignation and self-recrimination in the face of relationship dissolution over a whirring tapestry of synthetic bleeps, droning bass and melodic chimes. ‘All My Friends’ is the complete opposite – a driving sugar-rush of pummelling piano chords, breathless rhythms and bittersweet euphoria that easily ranks as one of the greatest songs of the 21st century so far. These two tracks taken together vaulted Murphy from dance-punk prankster into the role of modern prophet for a generation of disillusioned youth, those too old to keep up the frivolous hedonism but still too young and directionless to settle for the responsibilities of adulthood. For the vast group of people who find themselves in this position (myself included), Sound of Silver is a mirror held up to these problems – it’s dance music for people who don’t like to dance, it’s rock music for people who feel they were bon too late, it’s a self-help text for the cynical and bitter, and a dose of much needed euphoria for those who can’t help but talk politics at parties and can’t stay awake after 11pm anymore. Yet for one hour whilst Sound of Silver is playing, none of these things matter anymore, because James Murphy is your friend and he’s going to show you his impeccable record collection.

Also listen to: LCD Soundsystem, This is Happening

Second Chance - Cast 4 [Ricky, Nini, EJ, and Gina]

Ao3

During the Second Chance music video in the season 2 finale, we were given the context for each verse via the characters who sang the verse. I don’t think its quite that simple and clean tho. I think that each verse also reflect the other three who did not sing the verse.

For example the verse about running away could also be about Ricky, Nini and EJ.

Who knew that love could be so bittersweet Oh, when it finally meets the end? But there is somethin' in this summer wind A moment to begin again.

At first glance, the verse could refer to Ricky’s journey of love. It makes sense considering it’s Ricky who is singing the verse.

The verse also applies to Nini, herself. While she may have broken up with Ricky,this second time mutually, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s still in love with him. 

I think this also applies to EJ. We knew how devastated he was when he and Nini broke up, she literally ghosted him, I don’’t think there’s even an actual break up scene between the two. All we know was that Nini ghosted him and blocked his number.

But we know, when EJ decided to let go, He can have a moment o begin again.

The verse could reflect Gina, while her wish to be with Ricky never came to fruition, mostly due to that fact that Ricky is still in love with his childhood friend and ex-girlfriend, it also made it clear that she’s ready to begin again with someone who’s she’s ready to have her first kiss with.

I know that every time a door is shut A window opens up for me It's all wide open down this road I'm on I'm findin' who I want to be

Nini’s the one singing the verse, it definitely represents her time with YAC and her deciding that the school wasn’t for her. The Windows opening signify her future with Gina’s brother, who is a music producer.

The verse can also apply to Ricky. Although, Ricky’s metaphorical door could either be his relationship with Nini or a complete family with his biological mother and father, in turn his metaphorical window would be either be Lily, by the end of Season 2 or having a family with step mother in the form of his drama teacher or someone else.

The verse also applies to EJ, his metaphorical door is Duke and we still don’t know what his metaphorical window could be. Before S2,finale,  it could have been the phone call Mr. Mazzara received, but that was the STEM teacher’s window, not EJ’s.

and of course, the verse also applies to Gina. Her metaphorical door was her moving out of East High, but her metaphorical window are the Caswells. Ashlyn let her stay in her home, and they are rooming together,to let her stay at East High.

Was I a fool to read between the lines? Did I misread the signs that much? Who would've thought we'd come this far as friends? Maybe that should've been enough

EJ’s the one singing this verse, and it for sure reflects his feelings for Gina. the same can also be said for the inverse for Gina, but I digress. The song could also refer to Nini, they did meet at theater camp and got together.

From former statement, the verse also reflect Gina’s character. Remember this song describes the emotional and mental states of our singers. Gina had said that she had been wrong once, she doesn’t know whether the signs she had read before were romantically coded or simply platonic in nature. And when she finally read those signs as romantic, the guy cancels the date that they had been planning for days.

The verse could also reflect Nini’s and Ricky’s characters as well. The two of them seeing that the both of themi vibe much better as friends than as lovers. They’ve gone in sync with each other as soon as the two them made the decision to mutually break their relationship.

Maybe I'm safer when I'm on the run No time to open up my heart Maybe I'll hide behind my walls again Instead of tearing them apart

All four of them have instances where they felt safer running away.

Gina in particular because she’s been always on the move that she closed her heart and built walls around her heart not to get close to anyone, because she knew she won’t be in a place long enough to foster and grow those friendships, until East High.

Then came Ricky and EJ, first Ricky hurt her so much especially after she confessed her feelings towards him.

EJ hurt her when he cancelled the date with her.

Ricky’s way of running away, was when he lashed out at Ms. Jenn because his drama teacher and father were dating each other. He was still running away from the reality that he would have to live his remaining days as a teen in a blended family.

EJ’s version of running away was him closing himself off from any and all potential girlfriends because of what Nini did to him when they broke up. (Did they even have a break up scene?) He was also running away when he learned that he did not get into Duke. It took Gina convincing him to stand his ground not to take the privilege his father gave him to be in Duke.

Nini’s is clear cut. The Ricky said he was chasing her and her response was “I don’t like running away.” Because at some point during their second chance in a relationship, Ricky started chasing after Nini and the constant she gave his life, and Nini started running away, not wanting to be shackled by Ricky’s need to have something constant.

My justification for thinking in such a way is how the chorus relates to the four verses. Yes a song’s chorus is usually connected to all the verses within the song, however, there’s more to that connection in Second Chance.

I've got a second chance to fly I've got a second chance to fall What can make the tide turn? What can make the fire burn?

The one connection the verses and chorus is that the chorus gives hope despite the situations that the verses has described. The first two verses also gives that same feeling, but the underlying hopelessness and uncertainty plagues those verses whereas the chorus is just an anthem of hope