a review of american dream by lcd soundsystem

To go back to your place, to sleep on the couch, to bask in the morning sunlight as a twenty year old with no certain thoughts about the future.

The American Dream in a way. You know, in high school I was obsessed with that idea. The American Dream, that is. I used to think that no matter what, and above all other means, that I would need to work myself to death in order to achieve this dream. More related though, I was unaware of LCD Soundsystem or any part of my life that has led me to this moment, here, writing about the past and the future, not worrying about the words of the present.

This album, like many of the 2016-election era, is filled with anxiety. The aptly titled songs in the middle of the album 'how do you sleep?', 'tonite', and 'call the police', somewhat reflect this too. While not the entire meaning, the political undertones are very reminiscent of such a time and cannot be understated.

More related, how we can relate this to our own personal relationships, aspirations, and self-identified meaning. I mean, what even is the American Dream? Are we not the ones who define it and create agency for ourselves in such claims? We all have a dream, and to attain it is the pursuit of life itself.

And to those who never attain it, that's who this album is for. For the person who once believed endless potential was waiting just beyond the horizon and has now aged to find themselves staring in the mirror, seven years older with none of their promised dreams realized. This is the failure of our American Dream, of our flashing time, ambition, and reflections staring from the past.