Sound of Silver is LCD Soundsystem’s third studio album, released on March 20, 2007. It was produced by the DFA and recorded in 2006 at Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts and DFA Studios in New York City. James Murphy covered the entire studio in silver fabric and tin foil during recording. He found recording his own vocals uncomfortable, describing it as 'horrifying'. Several songs incorporate elements from the band's 2006 composition '45:33', especially 'Someone Great', which appears there as an instrumental. The album was dedicated to the memory of Dr. George Kamen (1942–2006). It was preceded by the single 'North American Scum' (February 2007), followed by 'All My Friends' — which spawned an EP featuring covers by Franz Ferdinand, John Cale, and Joy Division — and later 'Someone Great' (late 2007). In September 2007, the band released the A Bunch of Stuff EP and toured with Arcade Fire. In December 2007, Sound of Silver received a Grammy nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album.
Recorded across two studios — one rural, one urban — with the same producer and core team as the debut.
2:43
How it was made
Murphy sang uncomfortably, and the room itself was wrapped in silver fabric and tin foil.
4:16
What it borrows
'Someone Great' began as an instrumental on '45:33' and became the album’s third single.
6:10
What came before and after
Dedicated to Dr. George Kamen; preceded by 'North American Scum'; followed by an 'All My Friends' EP with covers by Franz Ferdinand, John Cale, and Joy Division.
Who should hear it, and who should skipHide who it is for
The written brief1 min read
What the record is and where it came from
Sound of Silver is LCD Soundsystem’s third studio album, released on March 20, 2007. It follows their self-titled debut (2005) and the experimental ‘45:33’ (2006). It was produced by the DFA.
How it sounds, and how it was made
The album was recorded in 2006 at Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts and DFA Studios in New York City. James Murphy covered the entire studio in silver fabric and tin foil. He found recording his own vocals uncomfortable, describing it as ‘horrifying’. Several songs incorporate elements from the band’s 2006 composition ‘45:33’, especially ‘Someone Great’, which appears there as an instrumental.
What lands
‘All My Friends’ lands with its piano loop, layered vocals, and unflinching lyric about time slipping away. ‘Someone Great’ lands with its slow-burn repetition and emotional weight drawn from its ‘45:33’ origins. ‘North American Scum’ lands with its aggressive synth bass and live backing vocals from Arcade Fire members.
What does not
It does not offer sonic innovation for its own sake. It does not hide behind irony. It does not resolve its tensions — it sustains them.
The ideas inside it
It confronts ageing, loss, and self-doubt with dry wit and rhythmic insistence. It is dedicated to Dr. George Kamen (1942–2006).
Who should hear it, and who should not
People who want music that sounds lived-in, not polished. People who respond to lyrics about real stakes — friendship, mortality, creative exhaustion. Not people who need immediate hooks or genre purity.
Is it worth your time
Yes. It holds up as a tightly constructed, emotionally direct record built from deliberate production choices — not myth or momentum.
