Like his label boss and musical compatriot James Murphy, Juan
MacLean makes twitchy electro-pop intended more for groove-minded
hipsters than your average club-hopper. On his second album, MacLean
and his group of robo-soul pals (particularly Nancy Whang, whose voice
guides most of these 10 songs) flutter through beat-driven cuts that
aren’t as alienated — or as alienating — as
they initially let on. Still, the Juan MacLean’s techno-disco thump
isn’t as warm as Murphy’s work with LCD Soundsystem. The Future Will
Come is at its best when it throws little bumps on the path to the
dance floor, like the percussive backdrop of the title tune and the
squiggly synths punctuating “Accusations.” But MacLean saves the best
for last with “Happy House,” a 12-minute tour de force that’s as epic
as twitchy electro-pop gets. — Gallucci
This article appears in Apr 22-28, 2009.
