John MacLean has been recording as The Juan MacClean for just over a decade on former LCD Soundsystem main man James Murphy’s label DFA Records. Previously, Murphy was involved in MacLean’s old band Six Finger Satellite. In a Dream makes the link even more explicit as Nancy Whang, singer in the now-defunct LCD Soundsystem and before that an intermittent collaborator, has now joined MacLean full time.
But In a Dream, The Juan MacLean’s third album, is not LCD Soundsystem part two. It maintains the boffinish fascination with electro-dance prototypes of 20-plus years ago, but raises the bar by being MacLean’s poppiest release to date. Cover star (MacLean is seen in the form of a disembodied sculpture of his head) Whang's presence usefully means his usually drab vocals now crop up less. In a Dream sounds more like a band than before. It's also more well-defined in terms of sonic coherence, probably as MacLean was writing with Whang in mind, sounding less like a pick ‘n’ mix selection of electro-disco, house, Giorgio Moroder and techno than its predecessors.
Stronger melodies than ever – in the Thriller-esque bounce of “Here I Am” and the epic “I've Waited for So Long" – are balanced against less-satisfying rhythmic chugs like “Love Stops Here”, which takes too long to fill itself out and reach its pulsing climax which freely draws, with a crushing lack of inspiration, from mid-Eighties New Order. The 10-minute, semi-Balearic closing track “The Sun Will Never Set on Our Love” may work well in a club, but is a chore to listen to at home. At 58 minutes, the album is too long. In a Dream lacks focus, but when it hits home it does so with gusto. But on this evidence, DFA have not found a new top-line outfit to replace LCD Soundsystem.
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