Daft Punk
Human After All
(2005)
"We Are Human After All"
I remember first getting into Daft Punk through their fantastic Alive 2007 album when I saw it at the library. The pure energy and passion that explodes from that performance is enough to sell anyone on the sound, and I still regard it as one of if not the best live album ever made. While everything was mashed up on the album, I found myself drawn most to the songs from Human After All, so Human After All ended up being the first studio album I listened to from the French electronic duo.
In retrospect to their discography at the time, it was simultaneously a huge leap forward in experimenting with different sounds and a combination of prior elements that defined the band. The abrasive sound of songs like Rollin' and Scratchin' from Homework is increased ten-fold and beautifully contrasts with the melodies that were so fantastic on Discovery. This is a perfect album where noise and melody are combined as one with great hooks.
The title track and of course Robot Rock blend hard rock guitars with electro melodies and house rhythms in a way that's never been matched. Sandwiched in between those two songs is the chaotic Prime Time of Your Life, which keeps building and building into a power noise frenzy before just ending. While some may have wished for a drop, the buildup is so intense that there really wouldn't be anyway to have a drop hit as hard.
While I could and do listen to all these songs on their own, the album flows so well that it makes you just want to start it right back up again after the end of Emotion. For a while I thought the title track would've been a better way to end the album, but it perfectly loops back around with Emotion's combining of Make Love's chill and beautiful melody with hooks from the title track. Make Love acts as a nice intermission between the pounding of Steam Machine and The Brainwasher, making Emotion's connecting elements fit as a perfect closer.
Fitting for the title, for two robotic personas, Human After All expresses a lot of touching emotion while bringing a serious dance groove. I absolutely love music that brings both an equal physical and emotional reaction in me, and this album sure does just that. As much as I love Discovery as well, Human After All has the edge as my favorite Daft Punk album and one of my all time favorites. The definition of an underrated classic.
I remember first getting into Daft Punk through their fantastic Alive 2007 album when I saw it at the library. The pure energy and passion that explodes from that performance is enough to sell anyone on the sound, and I still regard it as one of if not the best live album ever made. While everything was mashed up on the album, I found myself drawn most to the songs from Human After All, so Human After All ended up being the first studio album I listened to from the French electronic duo.
In retrospect to their discography at the time, it was simultaneously a huge leap forward in experimenting with different sounds and a combination of prior elements that defined the band. The abrasive sound of songs like Rollin' and Scratchin' from Homework is increased ten-fold and beautifully contrasts with the melodies that were so fantastic on Discovery. This is a perfect album where noise and melody are combined as one with great hooks.
The title track and of course Robot Rock blend hard rock guitars with electro melodies and house rhythms in a way that's never been matched. Sandwiched in between those two songs is the chaotic Prime Time of Your Life, which keeps building and building into a power noise frenzy before just ending. While some may have wished for a drop, the buildup is so intense that there really wouldn't be anyway to have a drop hit as hard.
While I could and do listen to all these songs on their own, the album flows so well that it makes you just want to start it right back up again after the end of Emotion. For a while I thought the title track would've been a better way to end the album, but it perfectly loops back around with Emotion's combining of Make Love's chill and beautiful melody with hooks from the title track. Make Love acts as a nice intermission between the pounding of Steam Machine and The Brainwasher, making Emotion's connecting elements fit as a perfect closer.
Fitting for the title, for two robotic personas, Human After All expresses a lot of touching emotion while bringing a serious dance groove. I absolutely love music that brings both an equal physical and emotional reaction in me, and this album sure does just that. As much as I love Discovery as well, Human After All has the edge as my favorite Daft Punk album and one of my all time favorites. The definition of an underrated classic.
Originally written on RateYourMusic in February 2021.
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