De Lux - Generation

De Lux
Generation
2015

De Lux's newest album Generation begins with an undisclosed person saying that "Bands were better in the 70s" included it seems as almost a challenge and a statement about something they clearly don't agree with. Generation technically is an electropop record, but there are clearly Talking Heads and LCD Soundsystem influences here. "Oh Man The Future" is almost a total ripoff of Talking Heads with the style of singing more like talking and even hits the same tone as David Byrne. This album is a rallying cry for millennials however not about actually doing something but instead singing about what it actually means to be a part of that specific generation in this specific moment. What De Lux does really well is make songs that are so specific, they zero in on a point and perspective and only go with that. They really seems not to be interested in overarching themes or grand gestures, instead zeroing on one target and refining that down to a razor's edge is what they go for. "When Your Life is Like a Loss" most accurately sums up the whole album and tonally is also the best track on the record.

Where you can really take issue with Generations is it's rambling style. Most of the tracks on the album are quite long (most over 5 minutes, some over 8) and not long to make a point or get somewhere, instead they are jsut long because they don't end. Where things could be tightened up or a point made De Lux just lets the music play and play repeating the same lines over and over again. While it is cool that De Lux pays homage to Talking Heads with this record they are bordering so close to imitation that it is a bit off putting. Much like their predecessors there is a rhythm element missing on this album which would really round it out. Generations is quite the cool record and really is trying to do something novel, the only issue is someone already did this 20 years ago. Will it stand the same test of time? We'll have to see.

7 out of 10