Discovery - Daft Punk > Reviews > Don't be daft, buy this CD

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it rate alongside the competition	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	see text
Disadvantages:	see text

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Bizarre electronic act Daft Punk splash back in to the charts with their new album Discovery, and I bought it! It really is quite a good album if you are in to electronic music. This is one of the only CD's I have bought this year, and I got it today (30/6). I get out of debt, and go and blow some cash on this album. Fortunately, my spending habits (eg. "blow"-ing money away) doesn't equate with this album as it does everything but blow. This album is an amazing piece of art, and love 'em or hate 'em, this album contains many electronic-slightly pop tunes that are worth quite a lot of listens.

1. ONE MORE TIME (5:20)
The first track on it, and first single they released, One More Time, is a simple electronic rhythm, with a good synth sound and lyrics. The video from the single features a band in cartoon form, being abducted. This track has a great little bit in the middle when the drums, and the vocals continue, in a very chilled style. Then, the rhythm starts up again and swings the track back. This is one of the highlights of the album.
Musics got me feeling so free, we gonna celebrate. Celebrate and dance so free.
The chimes at the end, and the action of the video lead straight in to...

2. AERODYNAMIC (3:27)
A much less calm track, with lots of effect on the beggining of the track. A 'garage' style beat, with distorted guitar over the top, then slowly the beat comes back. This track is a very good track and merges seamlessly with their anime style video of "One More Time". It has the similar 'chimes' of the first one, then a hallucinating style "synth" and FX. The chimes, like that at the end of One More Time, signal the beggining of the next track. This is an instrumental track.

3. DIGITAL LOVE (4:58) (FAV)
My favourite track of the album. The video keeps the same style of One More Time and Aerodynamic. A heavy FX on the opening synth and fluid ambience in the background, and 'building' drums, start the track. A heavily processed lyrics like "Last night I had a dream about you / In this dream I'm dancing right beside you / And it looked like everyone was having fun / The kind of feeling I've waited so long". This is one of the most tasteful tracks on the album, with good synth sounds, and good panning and FX. Daft Punk have succesfully mastered how to fade in effects slowly to create an ambient portrayal of the songs ideas. The pounding 'electronic' guitar is also well recorded.

4. HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER (3:43)
A strange, or should I say Daft collection of sounds kicks off Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. Then, the guitar, drums and morphed piano instruments get the tracks started. The track stops suddenly, and you hear the lyrics like "Work it, Make it, do it, Makes us... Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" etc. This is a good track, if slightly bizarre lyrics. It has an industrial feel to the sounds, and this is also suggested by the lyrics and 'qualities' of the sounds (I don't mean that in terms of how good they are, but the actual sounds of them.). It has a slight, suggested poke at the pop tracks when it stops for the usual 'dance jam' in MTV-style R&B videos like "All for you" by Janet Jackson and "No More" by 3LW, by stopping and just jamming for a second. This also connects with the 'industrial' feel of the music.

5. CRESCENDOLLS (3:28)
This track starts off with a 'clappy' style drum beat, and some kind of wierd FX. They then have all sorts of 'cheers' and 'hoorays' etc. Other than these effects, it is lyrically bare. As in none. (Read instrumental.) It continues like this for a minute or two, with minimal changes, then they go in to a 'jam' in the middle with fill-in style drums, and scratches. It also has a fuzzy movement going on in the background, if you listen carefully.

6. NIGHTVISION (1:43) (FAV)
The shortest track on the album starts off with a really chilled introduction. I really like this track in that it links with the idea of 'Discovery', the album title. It's minimal 'heartbeat' pulse, and large sweeps make it seem like somebody exploring an unknown space, and it does unwind you from the large industrial tones of Crescendolls and Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.

7. SUPERHEROES (3:57)
After the little interlude that was Nightvision, we are back to industrial beats, and a strange vocal sample. Also, slightly in to the track, the backing chords really please the ear, and the quality or texture is semi-industrial. Then the laser FX kick in for a few seconds, from side to side. Overall, a really good track. A heavily reverbed bass drum makes the percussion sound like a basketball being dropped on the floor, which is not particularly good, but the rest of the track makes up for it. When the drums stop it is particularly pleasing. At the end it just stops. If you look hard in the credits, they have sampled a bit from a Barry Manilow track (Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed)!

8. HIGH LIFE (3:13)
Another instrumental track, with upbeat content. This track is pretty boring, as it remains pretty similar all the way through. Unfortunately, this is not a track that agrees with me a lot, but I still enjoy it quite a bit.

9. SOMETHING ABOUT US (3:50) (FAV)
Another brilliant track (well, that's quite easy to say, because they are all so good!), Something About Us is a refrain from the quite hardcore action of Superheroes and High Life. With chilled guitar, and good lyrics (I might not be the right one / It might not be the right time / But there's something about us I've got to do / Some kind of secret i will share with you). Just listen to the guitar on the track, lovely!

10. VOYAGER (3:46) (FAV)
Another warm instrumental track, with soothing synth sounds. This goes in my favourite list (as denoted by the little "FAV" next to it! This is definitely going on my 'chilled' list. The rhythm is there, but not overpowering. It could be the perfect follow up to the single "Digital Love".

11. VERDIS QUO (5:44) (FAV)
A kind of organy intro, with a dose of flute on the top. Very slow, very chilled. If like many say, this is like 9&10, I like it (I am actually writing this listening to it!), and then it slowly fades in with drums and more layers. Quite a slow intro, takes around a minute to finally get in to it. Guy & Bangalter have done well in the creation of this track, especially as the sphere effect kicks in. For this, it gets my FAV award!! It's not the best of my favourites, but it is definitely growing on me.

12. SHORT CIRCUIT (3:24)
Goodbye to the previous tracks, welcome to 80's style electronic mumbling. I really don't enjoy this track much. It makes me think 1980's too much, and that's a time when we really should try and forget. But, generally after a few minutes, it changes and the 'hit' sounds that gave the 80's their names go in to chords, which slow down, and the songs general texture softens, back to the previous tracks 'Voyager', and 'Verdis Quo'. I don't like the beggining of the tracks, but the end is quite nice really!

13. FACE TO FACE (3:58) (FAV)
The penultimate track, Face to Face has a good solid start beat, with a good vocal sound on the top. "What's going on? / Could this be my understanding / It's not your fault I was being too demanding". This is a good pop track, and sounds really warm and flowing. I really do enjoy this track. After my whinging about the 80's styling on Short Circuit, I quite like the retro sounds on this track, it is quite a nice little relaxation track. This is a good track to get to the end of the album: towards the end, when they lose the backing track, it gets a little bit too retro, but generally it is a well put together track. Definitely gets a FAV.

14. TOO LONG (10:00)
Ten minute tracks, usually the reserve of drum'n'bass and long jazz tracks, not quick poppy electronic tunes! But, enough moaning... basic beat, good singing. The first verse repeats, then the tension is ready for it, but Daft Punk keep pushing it for a while... come on, give us something to listen to, please.
Then you can hear the phased keyboard start up. The quite minimal percussion gets replaced by proper bass hits. After Face to Face, this is a bit of a let down really, but I have only listened to the beggining. The cymbals come in. It is good in that it creates tension, and you want the song to start properly. This track really is "Too Long". Finally! The guitar starts!! This track gets back in to the swing of things. This is turning in to quite a good little number (once the guitar starts). The little repeated sample starts, and we are away! Quite a good end to the album, once it gets going, but I think 10:00 is a bit TOO long!

EXTRA. Membership of the 'Daft Club'.
When you buy 'Discovery', inside the CD case you will find a 'Daft Card', which has a membership number. This number lets you join their website using their simple instructions. Basically, you connect up to te internet, go to daftclub.com, type in your membership number, follow the various onscreen instructions, and download "Your New Suprises" from the site. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but anyone with a PC should be able to enjoy it (I had little success getting in using my Apple iMac... grr!, but I will try again later to get on, or beg my little brother to use his PC.)

It is a bit wierd not letting Mac users in to the site, because this album could possible be sitting up along with Kid A by Radiohead on your average web designers CD-shelf! And we all know they use the Mac if at all possible...

You need to download around 9Mb of PC applications BEFORE getting the tracks via the Daft Player, but I will do that on my brothers PC then (hopefully) transfer them on to my Macintosh. I have heard there is Ouverture on there, another song. But they say you can get that on Napster (so that could be my first try before installing too much crap on my brothers 'puter.

This idea seems like quite a good idea to get people to buy the album, and adds more to the package when you buy it, so this can only be applauded. I have heard that there is at least one more track to download off the website in MP3 format, so I will be atteampting to access it soon.

It is quite clever, because not often do people go and visit their favourite bands website while listening to a CD, but you are sort of incentivised to, because of the shiny plastic card! If only I could... But, even if I can't get on to it on my computer, I shouldn't slam it too much. It's a good idea, some may say it's a bit daft, but then it is Daft Punk we're talking about here.

GIMMICK. Every band has a gimmick! Daft Punk's little gimmick is their robot helmets. Did anyone see their interview on MTV where they went in as robots, as they never show their face?

COVER. Pretty basic really, just a plain black cover with a metallic sign saying 'daft punk'. From the first look at the case, you can't see the name of the album, but look at the sleeve to see 'discovery'. The back contains the track listings, and the booklet contains all the lyrics and instructions about how to use your 'daft card' (see above). Once you fold the cover out, you get a nice big graphic that is rather good 'eye candy'!

Buy this and enjoy! (Of course, if you absolutely hate 'electronic', this won't convert you, but most pop-people and electronic lovers will enjoy! I certainly have...)

WHATS NEXT? I really enjoyed Discovery, so I am quite likely to listen to a few tracks from Homework (please, don't mention it, I am trying to ENJOY my summer!), then quiet likely buy it. Many opinions say it's better than this, so if must be one of the best records ever released.

--POSTSCRIPT--
One thing I didn't know is that Stardust's "Music Sounds Better With You" was actually written by Bangalter from Daft Punk. This is completely true (I grabbed my copy: published by Zomba / Delabel / DAFT MUSIC. Written by Bangalter). Thanks to LatexFanClub from a certain Ciao competitor for pointing this out.