An LCD Soundsystem reunion? Many thought it would never happen. There was a time from 2012-2015 where it would be far-fetched to imagine LCD Soundsystem playing together. Frontman James Murphy was off creating art in the subways of New York; Pat Mahoney, Nancy Whang and others from the group were working on other endeavors. It truly seemed as if their 2011 blowout at Madison Square Garden was the final chapter in their story. How then, is it September 2017 and a new LCD Soundsystem album was just brought into the world last week?

Turns out we can thank the late, great David Bowie for the reunion. In an interview with BBC 6 Music Radio in July, Murphy stated “[Bowie] said ‘Does it make you uncomfortable?’ I said ‘Yeah,’ and he said, ‘Good – it should. You should be uncomfortable.’” Not only did Bowie gift the world with the phenomenal “Blackstar” album just days before his passing, he ensured that the next generation of peculiarly experimental yet somehow infectious dance tunes would be created by urging Murphy to reunite the band.

Many were not sure what to expect from the reunion at first. Of course there were the high-profile headlining spots at Coachella , Lollapalooza and every fest in between, but the idea of new music loomed like a far-off aspiration in the first months of 2016. It seemed as if LCD might be another band seeking a quick cash-grab from their adoring fan base. To quote the title of the concert film that documents their “final show” in 2011, the band was shutting up and playing the hits.

Then, all of a sudden in 2017, the hits were being interspersed with new tracks during their shows. Title track “american dream” and “call the police” were debuted live on Saturday Night Live this past May, a gig that may not have been landed if the band had not broken up in the first place.

Despite these promising snippets, fears could not be completely quelled until the release of the full album on Sept. 1. Within the first listen, Murphy and co. put all fears to rest. With its release, “american dream” takes fans on a 10-song journey through LCD Soundsystem’s many styles, from the chaotic and overwhelming to the sublime and melancholic.

These two sounds wage war with one another, in the best way possible, throughout the album. Some tracks grab the listener by the ear from the first note, “emotional haircut” and “change yr mind” being two prime examples. Each are filled with guitars and lyrics that cannot help but make the listener want to dance as if they have never danced before. Contrarily, “american dream” and “black screen” slow down the beat and put Murphy’s voice center stage, instead of the often overwhelming wall of sound created by the band’s almost-dozen touring members.

“American dream” is littered with highlights, and will undoubtedly receive praise for just how solid the album is as a whole. Despite this, the album opener and closer are of the caliber that may go down as some of LCD’s best individual tracks, and must not be overlooked.

“Oh baby,” the opener, is a track that takes five minutes and 50 seconds (one of the album’s shorter tracks) to masterfully build and deconstruct itself. In true LCD fashion, the song tackles the pain of a relationship that no longer works. Murphy’s voice whispers at first, riding an ever-growing crescendo to the song’s climax, in which he proclaims “We are already home / My love life stumbles on.” Upon the first listen of the album, it is this song that makes the first impression: the bold statement of LCD’s return that was very much needed.

On the other end of the record lies “black screen,” James Murphy’s eulogy to the man that indirectly caused this album to exist: David Bowie. A beautifully pulsing beat drives the synth in a slow-cooking intro—the first words not coming in until after the 2-minute mark of the song. Murphy sings in a sort of awe of Bowie’s friendship and how it was cut all too short due to Bowie’s battle with cancer. It is the exact tribute to David Bowie that only Murphy could create; tragically beautiful and genuine, all the while making the listener want to dance.

The album could just be these two tracks, and much of LCD’s fan base would be more than satisfied. After all it was not even two years ago that it seemed as if the band would never make music again.

Luckily, however, it is more than these two tracks. The band was generous enough to include eight other songs, which are filled with synths, pulsing drums, Murphy’s infectious yelp and ample opportunity for dancing, in between the bookends of the album. What more could you possibly want?