Daft Punk had generated a decent amount of success with their debut album Homework. This album was a critical and commercial success in the world of electronic music and went to show the craft work of the group. After four years, Discovery was released to even more critical praise and more successes abound. It sounds remarkably different from its predecessor, so let’s jump in and have a listen to it today.

It kicks off with very 8 bit sounding jazz inspired One More Time which sounds very fresh and inspired, to this day. It then kicks in with classic house EDM beats and has a great and catchy sound to it. It is very simple, but very enjoyable. It’s melodic and incorporates an Electro music feel with the digitized vocals. An original and different listen. “Music’s got me feeling so free, we’re gonna celebrate,” is the repeated vocal sample here, a nice touch.

Next has the clock chime intro of Aerodynamic which then kicks off with another retro 8 bit melody and pleasant mix of break beats. The digitized melody that enters next sounds like an 8 bit guitar part, which is quirky. It’s EDM to set up Daft Punk on a course for future success, and you can hear why. It’s rather psychedelic in that sense. The clock chimes again, before the second half of the track enters your ears. It’s well structured and very intelligent, the ending is awesome to hear.

Digital Love begins with ethereal sounds, before going into Electro House Pop bliss. Yes, there are sung lyrics here but they are excellent, with an electronically treated voice. The rest of the instrumentation on this tune is just as good. A quality piece, and also a good listen. House style beats then kick in, leaving us in awe of the magical sound of Daft Punk. This is no throwaway EDM mix, it is a pleasurable experience. Midway, it has an almost organ like riff sound, before going into lyrical nirvana. A funtastic, futuristic listen. Soothing as well, with an epic fade out.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger comes next. It is more of a pop piece than anything preceding it. It has robotic vocal treated singing, along with stop/start rhythms. It’s almost Hip Hop in that sense. It’s catchy and although the vocals are centrepiece here, it is an awesome listen. It is also largely influenced by Funk music, although this is EDM driven music. Very catchy and unforgettable.

Next up is Crescendolls which starts alone with beats, before gradually progressing into a crazy, upbeat tune with cheers in the background. It’s a good one to dance to, although much of the album beforehand is not as danceable as this tune. It’s another solid and consistent piece on this album. It then goes into a breakdown not dissimilar to The Chemical Brothers sort of breakdown, before going back into the primary part of the song. Just fantastic.

The short Nightvision is a very Ambient music sounding piece. It’s reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails’s A Warm Place but it is a better effort than that instrumental. Great to hear such wide variety on this album.

Superheroes is a piece that starts with marching drums, before slowly emerging into a piece that is really excellent listening. Whether or not this tune is supposed to be a reminder of comic book superheroes or not, it is an uplifting and exciting listen. Daft Punk made electronic music exciting again. Another great effort musically. The breakdown has some awesome cut up digital melodies. Very good effort. An intelligent and inspired listening experience.

High Life is next, and it does sound rather classy, with cut-up vocals, pounding beats and brilliantly unforgettable melodies. This is a fascinating listening experience. In the midsection, there are some various melodic samples, before we re-enter the giddy rush of the album. Excellent track.

Next is Something About Us which has some low volume sounds in a semi-Funky way. It has wah-wah sounding melodies, before going into a great and simple track to listen to. It’s a song with some lyrics about deep and meaningful love. A low volume guitar part is in the background towards the end of this piece. Intelligent and brilliant to hear, these guys definitely did their Homework, and it goes to show.

After that, enter the Voyager and travel across space and time in your own mind. There are some brilliant Funk/Disco guitar parts, pounding basslines and irresistible melodies to grab your attention. It’s a great instrumental track here, and yes, definitely great listening, as are all the tracks on this album. A colourful and beautiful almost Harp like melody enters towards the end of this track, adding a tasty melodic experience to the music at hand. It fades out into oblivion.

Veridis Quo is next, a simple piece which begins with a lone melody, before beats come in, revealing the rest of the track. It’s a good instrumental, but is a little weaker for Daft Punk’s music. It does not rush into the composition, being restrained and simple instead. A good, but not great instrumental.

Short Circuit is next, being a quirky and slightly annoying piece to listen to. It has some interesting textures and beats to match. A good and warped sounding piece, but again, not as good as the other tracks. It does have an interesting fade out though.

Next is the more straightforward Face To Face which has cut up vocals and more House sounding beats. It then goes into a vocal House piece which is simple and melodic. The singing here is very, very good. A good track towards the end of the album.

Lastly, we have the track that is intentionally Too Long for most listeners. It starts out with background beats and singing, before a unique track kicks in. Being exactly ten minutes, it takes a patient listener to hear this last track, but hey, it’s great all the same. It has a multitude of different sections to hear, making it an essential listen for EDM fans.

This is one of the better EDM albums out there, which is a good addition to your collection. Any flaws? The second half of the album is not as good as the first half. But hey, it’s interesting, quirky and fun.

Unusual.

8/10