Review: Daft Punk, Random Access Memories

Eight years is an eternity in the music world. While most artists release albums every two to three years, Daft Punk has never been one to go with the flow. Homework came in 1997, followed by Discovery four years later, and Human After All four years after that. Then eight years go by with no new studio album (save for the soundtrack to Tron, which everyone...and I mean everyone... expected to be a proper Daft Punk album, which it was not). Finally, in 2013 we have Random Access Memories. Following some brilliant marketing campaigns and somehow keeping the music very, very under wraps, the French duo has released the fourth full length of their illustrious career. But how does it fair?

The album strikes me as what I’d like to call “real dance music”. Appropriately, it’s dance and disco music created almost entirely with real instruments, as opposed to previous Daft Punk albums that have been heavily electronic-focused. Is this a good thing? Maybe not for those that are the Daft Punk faithful. People anxious for another Homework or Discovery won’t find a full album of writhing beats and electronic drum kits to jam to. Instead, they’ll find a more mature and poised Daft Punk, bordering on the theatrical. Random Access Memories is certainly an ode to the 70s disco phase, but with a touch of current. Tracks like “Motherboard” leave the listener thinking the duo is still focused on making a movie score, and while it isn’t terrible, it’s certainly not what fans may have been looking for. Plus what’s up with random sounds of running water? I certainly don’t put a Daft Punk album on to make me have to go to the bathroom.

Don't expect to find any "Robot Rock" on this new album.

Classic tracks abound through the album, such as the lead single “Get Lucky” and the classy opener “Give Life Back To Music”. These are tracks people would have expected when popping in a Daft Punk album. “Fragments of Time” has a pure 70s vibe, and the duo pull it off really well, given Todd Edwards smooth vocals over the synth chords. “Contact” dives into the musical score realm as well, and still feels off the beaten path for Daft Punk, albeit with intense percussion pieces and almost unnecessary sound effects and feedback (also out of character for the duo). “The Game of Love” stands out as a jazzy, stylish track that has elements of old Daft Punk, while a track like “Within”, really nothing seems to happen musically. It’s a rather boring track that just feels like wasted space. I also thoroughly enjoy about 75% of “Giorgio by Moroder”. While I understand and appreciate what the duo are trying to accomplish by using the audio interview during the track, I can’t help but think it could have been utilized differently and used in a better way.

Random Access Memories feels like a hodgepodge of authentic, classic Daft Punk music combined with pieces of experimentation that might not have gone the right way. Throw in a dash of the soundtrack to Oblivion, and you’ve got the new album. For the hardcore Daft Punk fans, this album will take some time to get used to. I can see why Daft Punk might be going for a more organic feel to their music, simply because the pop market is becoming so over-saturated with dance music and EDM. But this album loses some of the robotic element I think many of us came to know and love from Daft Punk. Take a listen on Spotify before you dive in, and share your thoughts in the comment section.