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Sound of Silver
Sound of Silver
Sound of Silver
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Sound of Silver
Studio album by
LCD Soundsystem
ReleasedMarch 12, 2007 (2007-03-12)
Recorded2006
Studio
Genre
Length55:55
Label
ProducerThe DFA
LCD Soundsystem studio albums chronology
45:33
(2006) 		Sound of Silver
(2007) 		This Is Happening
(2010)
Singles from Sound of Silver
  1. "North American Scum"
    Released: February 26, 2007
  2. "All My Friends"
    Released: May 28, 2007
  3. "Someone Great"
    Released: October 22, 2007
  4. "Time to Get Away"
    Released: 2008

Sound of Silver is the second studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. The album was released jointly by DFA and Capitol Records in the United States, and by EMI internationally, first appearing on March 12, 2007, in the United Kingdom. Sound of Silver was produced by the DFA and recorded in 2006 at Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts and DFA Studios in New York City.

Upon its release, Sound of Silver received widespread acclaim from music critics and was later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. The group subsequently released an EP titled A Bunch of Stuff, which consisted entirely of covers, alternative versions, and remixes of tracks from the album.

Recording and composition

[edit]

James Murphy recorded Sound of Silver at Long View Farm in Massachusetts, where he had previously worked on LCD Soundsystem's eponymous debut album. Murphy found recording his own vocals uncomfortable, describing the experience as "horrifying." He covered the entire studio in silver fabric and tin foil during the process. For the recording of LCD Soundsystem's next album, This Is Happening, Murphy brought one of the original pieces of silver fabric to the recording studio in Los Angeles and hung it in Rick Rubin's recording den, the Mansion.[2]

Musically, Sound of Silver has been described as dance-punk,[3][4] dance-rock,[5][6][7] electronica,[8][9] electronic rock,[9][10] and indie rock.[11]

Several songs incorporate elements from the band's six-part, 46-minute-long 2006 composition "45:33", in particular "Someone Great", which appears on "45:33" as an instrumental.[12]

The album was dedicated to "the memory of Dr. George Kamen (1942–2006), one of the great minds of his or any generation."[13] Dr. Kamen, a Bulgarian-born doctor, was a pioneer of group therapy and established a practice in New York City. It has been suggested that the loss of "someone" referenced in the track "Someone Great" alludes to Kamen.[14]

Release

[edit]

For several weeks before and after its release, the entire Sound of Silver album was available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The video for the track "North American Scum" was also uploaded to the band's MySpace on February 8, 2007.

On March 12, 2007, coinciding with the album's official UK release, an underground remix version of Sound of Silver was made available online to support a charitable cause.[15]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic86/100[16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarStar[17]
The A.V. ClubB+[18]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[19]
The GuardianStarStarStarStarStar[20]
Los Angeles TimesStarStarStarStar[21]
NME8/10[22]
Pitchfork9.2/10[23]
QStarStarStarStar[24]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStar[25]
SpinStarStarStarStarHalf star[26]

Sound of Silver received widespread critical acclaim and holds a score of 86 out of 100 on the review aggregation website Metacritic, based on 41 reviews, signifying "universal acclaim."[16]

Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian praised the "devastating emotional punch" of "Someone Great" and "All My Friends," describing the album as "dance-rock for grown-ups: extraordinary."[20] Andy Kellman of AllMusic noted that Sound of Silver, compared to LCD Soundsystem, was "less silly, funnier, less messy, sleeker, less rowdy, more fun, less distanced, more touching."[17]

Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times wrote that Murphy "succeeds by stretching in two directions—finding a new musical center and showing his humanity beyond the laughs."[21] Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork commended Murphy's production expertise and the album's "deep, spacious, and full-blooded" sound, concluding, "It's an absolute joy to listen to, for every possible reason, not the least of which is because, these days, those epiphanies feel like they're coming fewer and farther between."[23]

Tim Jonze of NME wrote that while "Murphy's wise enough never to let his showing off spoil the fun, he can't avoid investing these songs with heart and soul ... that's what'll keep you hooked long after the beats have worn you out."[27]

John Mulvey of Uncut stated, "Murphy's talent is to proudly flaunt his influences, and to mix them up with belligerence, an exhilarating grasp of rock and dance dynamics, and a powerfully snarky sense of humor."[28]

Robert Christgau, writing for MSN Music, remarked that the album featured "one song so irresistible it makes you think the other tracks are songs too, which sometimes they are."[29] He later awarded it a two-star honorable mention rating.[30]

By the end of 2007, Sound of Silver was ranked by Metacritic as the tenth best-reviewed album of the year.[31]

Commercial

[edit]

James Murphy stated that he wanted the album to be in the top 40 on the U.S. Billboard charts. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 46.[32] As of January 2016, the album had sold approximately 225,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Of those, around 123,000 were physical copies, and about 101,000 were digital copies.[33] The album reached number 28 on the UK charts.

Accolades

[edit]

In December 2007, Sound of Silver was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album, eventually losing to We Are the Night by The Chemical Brothers.[34] The album was also nominated for the 2007 Shortlist Prize, where it lost out to The Reminder by Feist.

It was also named album of the year by The Guardian,[35] Uncut[36] and Drowned in Sound.[37] Pitchfork named two of the album's tracks ("Someone Great" and "All My Friends") in the top ten tracks of 2007[38] and the album itself was named the second best album of 2007.[39] Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone[40] both ranked it as the 7th best album of 2007.[41] In 2008 Entertainment Weekly ranked it as one of the top 50 albums of the last 25 years. In January 2008, it was named the album of the year in both the 2007 Village Voice Pazz & Jop and Idolator Pop '07 polls.[42] Time magazine named "All My Friends" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #4.[43] The album placed fifth in The Wire's annual critics' poll.[44]

In 2009, Pitchfork named the track "All My Friends" as the second best song of the decade,[45] while a month later Sound of Silver was ranked at number 17 in the website's list of the best albums of the 2000s. Rhapsody ranked the album at number five on its "100 Best Albums of the Decade" list.[46] It was also named the twenty-third best album of the decade by Resident Advisor.[47]

In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 395 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[48] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[49][50]

In 2019, The Guardian ranked the album at number 5 on its list of 'The 100 best albums of the 21st century'.[51]

On October 27, 2022, the song "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down" was the final song played on WNYL Alt 92.3 before flipping to a simulcast of heritage all-news radio station WINS.

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Get Innocuous!"
7:11
2."Time to Get Away"
  • Murphy
  • Patrick Mahoney
  • Pope
4:11
3."North American Scum"Murphy5:25
4."Someone Great"Murphy6:25
5."All My Friends"
  • Murphy
  • Mahoney
  • Pope
7:37
6."Us v Them"
  • Murphy
  • Mahoney
  • Pope
8:29
7."Watch the Tapes"Murphy3:55
8."Sound of Silver"Murphy7:07
9."New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down"
  • Murphy
  • Mahoney
  • Pope
5:35

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from liner notes.

LCD Soundsystem
  • James Murphy – vocals (all tracks), drums (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8), percussion (tracks 2, 3, 6–8), bass (tracks 2, 5, 7, 8), programming (tracks 1, 3, 4, 8), piano (tracks 1, 5, 7, 8), synthesizers (tracks 1, 4, 8, 9), claps (tracks 3, 6–8), guitar (tracks 2, 5, 9), organ (tracks 2, 3), Casio (tracks 2, 7), guitar bass (tracks 3, 7), Clavinet (track 2), glockenspiel (track 4), electronic percussion (track 5), fun machine (track 6), kalimba (track 8)
  • Patrick Mahoney – drums (tracks 2, 6, 9), percussion (tracks 6, 9), claps (track 6), vocals (track 7)
  • Tyler Pope – guitars (tracks 1, 6), bass (tracks 3, 6, 9), fun machine (track 6), claps (track 6)
  • Nancy Whang – vocals (tracks 1, 3, 6)
  • Phillip Mossman[a]
Additional musicians
  • Eric Broucek – claps (track 3), vocals (track 6)
  • Marcus Lambkin – claps (track 3)
  • Morgan Wiley – piano (track 9)
  • Justin Chearno – guitar (track 9)
  • Jane Scarpantoni – cello (track 9)
  • Lorenza Ponce – violin 1 (track 9)
  • Amy Kimball – violin 2 (track 9)
  • David Gold – viola (track 9)
Production
  • The DFA – production
  • James Murphy – mixing
  • Dave Sardy – mixing
  • Geoff Pesche – mastering
  • Eric Broucek – assistance
  • Matthew Thornley – engineering assistance
  • Ian Neil – engineering assistance
  • Jimmy Robertson – mix assistance
  • Daniel Morrison – mix assistance
Release
  • Michael Vadino – art direction, photos
  • Keith Wood – management
  • Craig Averill – legal

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[69] Gold 100,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

A Bunch of Stuff

[edit]

A Bunch of Stuff
EP by
LCD Soundsystem
Released18 September 2007 (2007-09-18)
Genre

A few months after the release of Sound of Silver, the band released the digital-only compilation EP A Bunch of Stuff on September 18, 2007. It was a US-only release, as all the songs on the EP were included on the "Someone Great" single, which was released in all other territories (excluding the Franz Ferdinand cover of "All My Friends," which later became a B-side to their 2008 single "Can't Stop Feeling").

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "All My Friends" (Franz Ferdinand version)
  2. "Get Innocuous!" (Soulwax remix)
  3. "Sound of Silver" (Carl Craig's c2 rmx rev.3)
  4. "Us v Them" (Any Color U Like remix by Windsurf)
  5. "Time to Get Away" (Gucci Soundsystem remix)
  6. "Us v Them" (live on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic")

Notes and references

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Sound of Silver

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Sound of Silver is the second studio album by the American rock band , led by James Murphy, and was released on March 20, 2007, in the United States by DFA and , with an international release on March 12 by . The album comprises nine tracks that fuse , indie rock, and electronic music, featuring prominent songs such as "All My Friends," "Someone Great," and the title track. The recording took place over 2006 at Long View Farm in , and DFA Studios in New York City, where producer James lined the walls with aluminum foil to alter the room's acoustics and achieve a brighter, less "woody" sound compared to the band's debut album. Produced by and the DFA collective, Sound of Silver explores themes of aging, friendship, and urban life in New York, delivered through Murphy's raw vocals and layered instrumentation including synthesizers, guitars, and driving rhythms. Upon its release, Sound of Silver garnered widespread critical acclaim for its cohesive songwriting, innovative production, and emotional resonance, with awarding it a 9.2 out of 10 and designating it "Best New Music." The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the in 2008. It has since been recognized as a landmark of 21st-century music, ranking highly on lists such as Rolling Stone's 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far at number 46.

Background and recording

Album development

Following the release of LCD Soundsystem's self-titled debut album in and the subsequent extensive touring, James Murphy expressed a desire to evolve the project's sound beyond the genre's clichés, aiming for greater maturity and introspection in his songwriting. He viewed Sound of Silver as a companion piece to the debut, incorporating more emotive and melodic elements to explore personal themes of aging and disconnection, influenced by his time away from New York during tours. This motivation stemmed from a need to refine the band's blueprint, adding emotional depth while avoiding the ironic detachment of earlier work. Murphy drew heavily from krautrock pioneers Can and Neu!, as well as post-punk innovators , to inform the album's conceptual origins, seeking a forward-looking sound that transcended retro imitation. These influences encouraged a blend of repetitive rhythms, experimental structures, and angular guitar work, pushing toward an album that balanced danceable energy with reflective nuance. By integrating such sources, Murphy aimed to create music that felt innovative and personal, distancing from genre expectations. The album's development unfolded over 2005 and 2006, beginning with Murphy's return to New York after touring and focusing on pre-production ideation amid his daily routines. Initial songwriting involved spontaneous lyric composition, often while commuting on the subway and reviewing instrumental demos on his , allowing themes of urban life and to emerge organically. A pivotal creative decision was to prioritize live band dynamics, with Murphy adopting a directive production role to emphasize physical instrumentation and group interplay over dominant electronic elements. This approach fostered a more collaborative yet controlled environment, enabling maximalist arrangements that highlighted emotional builds and vulnerability, setting the stage for the album's cohesive maturity.

Recording process

The recording of Sound of Silver took place primarily during the summer of 2006 at Long View Farm, a residential studio in , with additional sessions at DFA Studios in . This setup allowed the band to work in a secluded environment for initial tracking, followed by refinements in the urban DFA space, fostering a collaborative atmosphere amid the project's evolution. The album was produced by The DFA, the production duo consisting of James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy, who oversaw the integration of electronic and rock elements. Murphy, serving as the central figure, contributed vocals, guitars, synthesizers, and programming, while band members Nancy Whang handled keyboards, Pat Mahoney played drums, and Tyler Pope managed guitar and bass duties during the sessions. Additional contributors included engineering assistance from Matthew Thornley and mixing by Murphy alongside , with final mastering completed by Geoff Pesche at . To achieve the album's distinctive warmth and texture, the team employed a mix of live band instrumentation and analog equipment, including Moog synthesizers, vintage drum machines like the Roland CR-78, and layered recordings captured to emphasize raw, communal energy. Murphy draped the Long View Farm studio walls in silver fabric and aluminum foil to modify acoustics, creating a reflective "sound of silver" that enhanced high-frequency clarity and depth while evoking a metallic sheen in the mixes. Extensive overdubs were added post-tracking to build density, though the core takes prioritized full-band performances for immediacy over isolated multitracking. This approach drew brief inspiration from krautrock pioneers like Neu!, shaping a repetitive, propulsive session rhythm that mirrored the album's motorik grooves.

Composition

Musical style

Sound of Silver represents a sophisticated fusion of , , electronic, and influences, marked by repetitive rhythms and meticulously crafted build-ups that propel tracks toward cathartic peaks. Drawing from 1970s and early new wave, the album integrates the pulse of bands like Can with the angular urgency of groups such as and the Fall, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and urgently modern. This genre blending allows for a seamless interplay between high-energy dance grooves and introspective rock structures, distinguishing it as a landmark in the mid-2000s indie-dance revival. Central to the album's sonic identity are its pulsing basslines, which anchor the repetitive rhythms and provide a hypnotic foundation, often layered with angular guitar riffs that evoke the raw edge of . Synthesizer textures add fizzy, atmospheric depth, while drum patterns—characterized by steady, driving beats—incorporate electronic percussion alongside live-kit elements for a hybrid electro-acoustic feel. The production, led by James Murphy, emphasizes analog warmth and spacious dynamics, resulting in dense mixes that maintain clarity and emotional intensity through gradual crescendos rather than abrupt drops, achieved via live band tracking sessions that infuse organic energy. Track-specific highlights underscore these elements: "All My Friends" opens with a speeding-train piano riff and arpeggiated synths that build over nearly seven minutes into a euphoric, New Order-inspired anthem, its repetitive structure amplifying a sense of communal release. "Someone Great" features sleek electro melodies and poignant synth layers for a melancholic yet danceable electro-pop texture. The title track, "Sound of Silver," unfolds as a sprawling seven-minute suite with evolving krautrock-infused textures, including fizzy synth bursts, exemplifying the album's capacity for immersive, dynamic progression. Tracks like "Get Innocuous!" further showcase punk-funk rhythms and mercurial art-techno shifts, propelled by throbbing bass and angular guitars. This cohesive aesthetic—sleek yet raw, fun yet profound—positions Sound of Silver as a refined evolution from LCD Soundsystem's debut, prioritizing emotional resonance through its balanced fusion of club-ready propulsion and rock's structural depth.

Lyrics and themes

The lyrics of Sound of Silver, penned primarily by James Murphy, delve into the emotional turbulence of entering one's thirties, encompassing themes of aging, friendship, loss, and urban alienation in a rapidly changing . Drawing from Murphy's personal experiences, the album captures a sense of disillusionment and , often blending wry humor with poignant melancholy to explore the passage of time and the erosion of youthful ideals. This confessional style manifests in stream-of-consciousness narratives that ironize personal vulnerabilities, reflecting Murphy's perspective on midlife transitions amid the city's evolving cultural landscape. A central motif is the inexorable flow of time and nostalgia for the 1990s New York music scene, where friendships formed in gritty, communal spaces now give way to isolation and regret. In "All My Friends," Murphy recounts a night of revelry turning into exhaustion, evoking the fleeting nature of youth and the social fatigue of sustaining bonds as responsibilities mount: lines like "It comes apart / The way it does in bad films" underscore the ironic exhaustion of chasing past highs with friends who have grown apart. The song, written when Murphy was 37, grapples with disconnection and the bittersweet reckoning of aging, portraying camaraderie as both a lifeline and a reminder of lost vitality. "Someone Great" shifts to themes of and fragmented memory, inspired by the death of 's longtime therapist, Dr. George Kamen, to whom the album is dedicated. The track's meditate on the disorientation of loss—"To tell the truth I saw it coming / The way you were breathing"—while blending emotional transparency with ironic detachment, as processes personal bereavement through detached observations of altered routines. This quality highlights the album's exploration of intimate relationships strained by mortality, evoking a quiet devastation amid the city's relentless pace. Closing the album, "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" serves as an ambivalent ode to the city, critiquing its and cultural dilution while affirming enduring affection for its chaotic energy. Murphy's stream-of-consciousness delivery laments the loss of the "downtown scene" to commercialism—"Your streets and your fecal matter / Your Japanese tourists and cable cars"—yet finds ironic solace in the urban grit that shaped his identity. Recurring across the record, motifs of personal relationships underscore how friendships and losses intertwine with the alienating forces of time and place, rendering Sound of Silver a reflective portrait of maturity's ambivalence.

Release and promotion

Release details

Sound of Silver was released on March 12, 2007, in the United Kingdom by , and March 20, 2007, in the United States by and . This partnership allowed DFA's independent to reach a broader audience via Capitol's distribution network, despite tensions inherent in blending indie creativity with major-label infrastructure. The album was made available in multiple formats, including , double vinyl LP, and digital download, with the vinyl edition featuring a sleeve and a large folded insert. The packaging incorporated minimalist artwork overseen by James Murphy, utilizing silver foil stamping on the cover to reflect the album's title and thematic metallic sheen. This design choice complemented the record's aesthetic, drawing from the silver-wrapped studio environment used during recording.

Singles and marketing

The promotion of Sound of Silver began with the release of "North American Scum" as the lead single on February 26, 2007, issued by in CD, 7-inch vinyl, and 12-inch vinyl formats. This track served as an early teaser for the album, accompanied by an official directed by Ben Dickinson that highlighted the band's satirical take on American culture. Following the album's launch, "All My Friends" was issued as the second single on May 28, 2007, available in 7-inch vinyl and digital formats through EMI and DFA. The single's B-side often paired it with "North American Scum," emphasizing the album's interconnected themes of and urban life. "Someone Great" followed as the third single on October 22, 2007, released in CD and 12-inch vinyl editions, with a video directed by Doug Aitken featuring abstract visuals of . Finally, "Time to Get Away" was released in February 2008 on DFA as a , extending the album's promotional cycle into the following year. Marketing efforts centered on grassroots and digital strategies through , including teases via the label's newsletter and online previews of tracks to build anticipation among indie and electronic fans. Viral elements included the video, which gained traction on platforms like for its humorous critique, contributing to early buzz without heavy reliance on traditional radio play. Live previews played a key role, with debuting several album tracks at the Music and Arts Festival on April 28, 2007, where sets featured extended performances of "All My Friends" and "Sound of Silver" to showcase the record's live energy. The album's rollout aligned with a comprehensive world tour, spanning , , and select international dates, where performed as an expanded live ensemble including core members like James Murphy on vocals and synths, Tyler Pope on bass and guitar, Pat Mahoney on drums, and additional contributors such as Nancy Whang on keyboards and vocals. Tour sets heavily emphasized Sound of Silver material, with tracks like "Someone Great" and "Us v Them" forming the backbone of performances that blended rhythms with improvisational elements to engage audiences. This touring approach, documented in live recordings and festival appearances, helped solidify the band's reputation as a premier live act during the album's promotion. For broader exposure, tracks from the album appeared in media placements, such as "" in television promotions and sync deals that targeted indie-leaning audiences.

Critical reception

Initial reviews

Upon its release in March 2007, Sound of Silver received widespread critical acclaim, earning an aggregate score of 86 out of 100 on based on 41 reviews, with critics frequently praising its emotional depth and innovative blend of elements. Reviewers highlighted the album's evolution from LCD Soundsystem's debut, noting its increased maturity and focus on poignant themes of aging and loss. Pitchfork awarded the album 9.2 out of 10, designating it Best New Music and lauding "All My Friends" as a generational that captures the exhaustion and of late-night revelry, with James confronting vulnerability in lines like "You spend the first five years trying to get with the plan / And the next five years trying to be with your friends again." NME commended the punk-dance fusion rooted in late-1970s influences like Eno and ESG, while emphasizing its infectious energy that compels listeners to move. Rolling Stone rated it 4 out of 5 stars, observing 's songwriting growth toward greater confidence and expansiveness, with the album crackling with live-wire energy on tracks like "." Common praises centered on the album's refined songwriting and urgent, propulsive sound, which balanced sardonic humor with touching introspection, as seen in AllMusic's description of it as "less silly, funnier, less messy, sleeker, less rowdy, more fun, less distanced, more touching" compared to the debut. Some critics noted minor flaws, such as occasional overlength in tracks that stretched beyond their ideal runtime, potentially diluting the momentum. Overall, reviewers celebrated Murphy's raw emotional exposure, particularly in songs like "Someone Great," which marked new ground in prettiness and poignancy for the artist.

Accolades and retrospective views

Upon release, Sound of Silver received a nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the in 2008, though it lost to The Chemical Brothers' We Are the Night . The album also earned high placements in year-end polls, including second place on Pitchfork's of the top 50 albums of 2007 . In decade-end retrospectives, Sound of Silver ranked 12th on Rolling Stone's 100 best albums of the , and 11th on NME's top 100 greatest albums of 2000–2009 . The track "All My Friends" featured prominently in such lists, including as one of Pitchfork's top 10 songs of 2007 and in Rolling Stone's 250 greatest songs of the 21st century so far , . Later assessments have reaffirmed the album's enduring influence. In 2019, it placed fifth on The Guardian's list of the 100 best albums of the , praised for capturing the complexities of identity in a changing New York . Stereogum's 2017 10th-anniversary retrospective highlighted its timeless quality, noting how it transcended initial associations to presage broader evolutions in indie-dance music . In 2025, the album was ranked number 46 on Rolling Stone's list of the 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far.

Commercial performance

Chart performance

Sound of Silver achieved moderate commercial success upon release, particularly in genre-specific charts. In the United States, the album debuted at number 46 on the Billboard 200, selling approximately 15,000 copies in its first week. It also reached number 1 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart, where it maintained a sustained presence throughout 2007, reflecting its strong appeal within electronic and dance music audiences. In the , Sound of Silver peaked at number 28 on the Official Albums Chart, entering on March 24, 2007, and spending a total of five weeks in the top 100. The album's singles contributed to its visibility; for instance, "All My Friends" reached number 41 on the UK Singles Chart. Internationally, the album performed solidly in select markets, peaking at number 14 on the Irish Albums Chart with five weeks on the listing. It also charted at number 89 on the French Albums Top 150 during its debut week in March 2007.
Chart (2007)Peak Position
US Billboard 20046
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums1
UK Albums (OCC)28
Irish Albums (IRMA)14
French Albums ()89

Sales and certifications

Sound of Silver achieved steady commercial success, particularly in key markets. In the United States, the album had sold 225,000 copies as of 2016, including 123,000 physical units and 101,000 digital downloads, reflecting strong performance in both traditional and emerging formats during the early streaming era. Despite these figures, it received no certifications from the (RIAA). In the , the album was certified Silver by the (BPI) on July 6, 2007, for shipments of 60,000 units, and later upgraded to Gold on July 22, 2013, for 100,000 units. This underscores its enduring appeal in the region, supported by consistent physical sales. The album's vinyl editions have maintained popularity in independent and collector markets, with reissues such as the 2017 tenth-anniversary edition contributing to long-tail physical sales amid the . Digital streaming has further extended its commercial reach post-2010s, though specific equivalent units from platforms like are not publicly detailed in sales reports.

Album content

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Get Innocuous!"James Murphy, Tyler Pope7:11
2."Time to Get Away"James Murphy, Patrick Mahoney, Tyler Pope4:11
3."North American Scum"James Murphy5:25
4."Someone Great"James Murphy6:25
5."All My Friends"James Murphy, Patrick Mahoney, Tyler Pope7:37
6."Us v Them"James Murphy, Patrick Mahoney, Tyler Pope8:29
7."Watch the Tapes"James Murphy3:55
8."Sound of Silver"James Murphy7:07
9."New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down"James Murphy, Patrick Mahoney, Tyler Pope5:35
Total length: 55:55.

Personnel

LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver primarily features the project's core lineup, with James Murphy handling lead vocals, guitars, synthesizers, percussion, , programming, and additional instruments across multiple tracks, alongside his role in production and mixing. Nancy Whang contributes keyboards and backing vocals on select tracks such as "Get Innocuous!" and "". Pat Mahoney provides drums and percussion on tracks including "Time to Get Away", "Us v Them", and " but You're Bringing Me Down", with additional backing vocals on "Watch the Tapes". Tyler Pope plays bass, guitar, and the Fun Machine organ on various tracks like "", "Us v Them", and the title track. Additional musicians appear on specific tracks, notably the closing song " but You're Bringing Me Down", which includes Justin Chearno on guitar, Morgan Wiley on , and a comprising Lorenza Ponce and Amy Kimball on violins, David Gold on viola, and Jane Scarpantoni on . Handclaps on "" are performed by Eric Broucek and Marcus Lambkin. The album was produced by The DFA, the production team formed by James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy. Engineering assistance was handled by Eric Broucek, Ian Neill, and Matthew Thornley. Mixing duties were shared by James Murphy and , while Geoff Pesche mastered the album at in .

Expanded editions

A Bunch of Stuff overview

A Bunch of Stuff is a digital-only EP by , released exclusively through on September 18, 2007, as a U.S.-only companion to their second studio album Sound of Silver. Consisting of six tracks that reimagine material from the album alongside a live recording, the EP embodies the remix-oriented approach central to the DFA label's output, offering fans alternate perspectives on the band's sound through collaborations with external producers. The content features the Franz Ferdinand version of "All My Friends" (performed by Franz Ferdinand), remixes including "Get Innocuous!" by , "Sound of Silver" by (as C2 rmx rev. 3), "Us v Them" by Juan MacLean (as Windsurf's Any Color U Like remix), and "Time to Get Away" by Gucci Soundsystem (a DFA-associated act), complemented by a live rendition of "Us v Them" from KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. Clocking in at 50 minutes and 53 seconds, these selections highlight the project's focus on electronic reinterpretations and performance energy rather than new original material. Following its initial iTunes exclusivity, A Bunch of Stuff became available on broader digital platforms and was incorporated into select reissues of Sound of Silver, ensuring ongoing accessibility for listeners interested in the album's expanded sonic variations.

A Bunch of Stuff track listing

The "A Bunch of Stuff" EP serves as a companion release to Sound of Silver, featuring remixes, a , and a live track, all derived from the album's material; it was issued digitally on September 18, 2007, exclusively in the United States via and . All tracks were written by James , with additional writing credits to Tyler Pope on "Get Innocuous!" and to , Patrick Mahoney, and Pope on "Time to Get Away." The EP has a total runtime of 50 minutes and 53 seconds.
No.TitleRemixer/VersionLength
1."All My Friends"Franz Ferdinand Version (performed by Franz Ferdinand)5:55
2."Get Innocuous!" Remix10:01
3."Sound of Silver"C2 Remix (Rev. 3)9:21
4."Us v Them"Any Color U Like Remix (by Windsurf)10:52
5."Time to Get Away"Gucci Soundsystem Remix6:50
6."Us v Them"Live on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic"7:53

Legacy

Critical legacy

Sound of Silver has been widely recognized as a pivotal work in the indie-dance and movements, blending electronic elements with rock energy to help bridge 2000s experimentation and the resurgence of the 2010s. Critics have noted its role in eroding genre boundaries, influencing subsequent artists by combining club-ready rhythms with introspective lyrics that captured urban alienation and nostalgia. For instance, the album's krautrock-infused tracks like "All My Friends" exemplified a fusion that echoed post-punk's angularity while paving the way for more polished synth-driven acts in the following decade. The album's critical stature is reflected in prominent rankings, placing at number 433 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020 edition) and number 71 on Slant Magazine's 100 Best Albums of the . It also ranked at number 46 on Rolling Stone's 250 Greatest Albums of the So Far (2025 list). These positions underscore its enduring impact as a touchstone for 21st-century indie music, particularly in how it documented the shift toward digital-era cultural dynamics through James Murphy's imprint. Scholarly analyses, such as Ryan Leas's examination in the 33 1/3 series, highlight Murphy's contributions to DIY electronic scenes, portraying Sound of Silver as a on aging and artistry that elevated underground production techniques to mainstream relevance. Comparisons often draw parallels between Sound of Silver and 's (2004), both lauded for merging emotional depth with rock-electronica hybrids that defined mid-2000s indie rock's emotional intensity. While leaned into orchestral swells, LCD Soundsystem's approach emphasized pulsating electronics, yet both albums were celebrated for their raw portrayal of personal and collective experiences, frequently inspiring joint tours and shared fanbases. This pairing illustrates the album's place in a broader wave of revivalist sounds that revitalized rock's danceable undercurrents.

Cultural impact

The track "All My Friends" from Sound of Silver has emerged as a defining millennial anthem, capturing the bittersweet tensions of aging, nostalgia, and the fleeting nature of friendships through its introspective lyrics and driving piano riff. The song's emotional duality—evoking both the euphoria of youthful connection and the disillusionment of time's passage—has resonated widely, often symbolizing the generational experience of reconciling past exuberance with present regrets. It has been featured in media, including the trailer for the 2024 film IF, amplifying its role in narratives about personal growth and relational drift. Beyond music, Sound of Silver contributed to the vibrant indie scene of the mid-2000s, embodying the energy that defined the borough's creative resurgence. The album's raw introspection and rhythmic innovation helped shape a cultural moment where indie acts blended electronic experimentation with rock urgency, influencing the local DIY ethos amid New York's evolving urban landscape. The closing track "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down" has been frequently referenced in discussions of urban , critiquing the city's transformation under Mayor through lyrics lamenting lost grit and rising commercialization. This theme struck a chord with New Yorkers navigating socioeconomic shifts, positioning the as a to the tension between affection for the city's history and frustration with its sanitized present. In broader media, tracks from Sound of Silver like "Get Innocuous!" appeared on the radio station in Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), exposing the album to a massive gaming audience and embedding its sound in interactive storytelling. Marking its enduring influence, the album received a Grammy nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2008. For the 10th anniversary in 2017, a deluxe reissue was released, accompanied by celebratory events such as listening sessions hosted by Classic Album Sundays in Sydney, reigniting fan engagement worldwide. The album's legacy extends to later artists, notably influencing , whose frontman has cited "All My Friends" as "the best song ever written" for its reflective depth, even riffing on its piano motif in their 2022 self-titled track.

References

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