With DFA's flagship band LCD Soundsystem calling it quits, it leaves a void in the "too cool to dance but still loves dance music" scene.  The Juan Maclean aim to fill that void with Everybody Get Close, a collection of new tracks and remixes designed to satiate the appetites of fans of DFA's patented brand of post punk dance music. While not being touted as the official follow up to 2009's The Future Will Come, Everybody Get Close has enough consistency and flow to feel like a cohesive work.

Starting things off with a bang, "Find a Way" launches off with a funky distorted bassline and a noodly piano hook that sets the stage for the rest of the album.  "Let's Talk About Me" harkens back to the early days of acid house with a nifty bassline that is tweaked ad nauseum amidst a looping synth line and vocal samples. I wasn't too into Nancy Whang's vocals on The Future Will Come, here she appears on several tracks and the results are better than on the last outing. The album standout "Feels So Good" centers around Nancy's vocal hook and I've found myself humming it over and over all week, so either she got better or I'm less of a nitpicky jerk.

There are several remixes featured here, most notably Cut Copy's remix of "Happy House", which trades the original's signature piano hook with a syncopated synth bassline and some interesting chord modulation over Whang's vocals. While I appreciate the vocals more this time around, the band is always at their best when they let the tracks speak for themselves. "Deviant Device" is nine minutes of minimal downtempo bliss, allowing the groove to breathe in a way that's almost meditative. "X2" also shines, building on its acid bassline and reversed vocal loop into a spastic bass freakout.  There's a kitchen sink vibe to this release, which is expected considering the somewhat compilation nature of it. Due to this, there's a playfulness to it that seems missing from The Future Will Come. The result is looser, unhinged and unpredictable, I prefer The Juan Maclean this way.
Grade: A-

Feels So Good - The Juan Maclean by thepassenger_