The Juan MacLean — The Future Will Come

The Juan MacLean are often overlooked in the DFA oeuvre and are overshadowed by higher profile acts like The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem. But where those two are rock bands appealing to a dance music crowd, MacLean have always been the dance act that wins over the indie kids.

The duo continue this trend on their sophomore record, a booty-shaking journey into the heart of dance music. Four years after their debut, MacLean continue to mine European and North American dance influences (giving a nod to the former with closing track "Happy House") to create a surprisingly captivating and unique-sounding record aided by partner in crime, vocalist Nancy Whang.

While MacLean's music would certainly hold up on its own merits in the dance world, Whang's lyrics anchor the duo in more traditional pop music structures even in the face of 10-minute-plus jams. Her voice keeps the music accessible for suburban white kids who'd otherwise never be caught dead clubbing.

The Future Will Come is rare in that it works both as a headphone masterpiece and a visceral dance floor experience. Dance music would be a much bigger deal in North America if there were more records like this.

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