An ambitious undertaking
shaped by corporate funding and thematic constraint, LCD Soundsystem's 45:33 grew out of a question
posed by Nike: What kind of music proves most amenable to jogging? The answer:
Disco! Or at least the kind of meaty, beaty disco that plays in the contemporary
dance-rock scene.
A hit last year as a
download, but out now on disc with extras, 45:33 opens on a wry note, with
a sassy voice whispering "shame on you" into the ears of runners presumably not
expecting an existential interdiction. From there, it drifts through a mix of
original tracks that build toward a peak and then fade into a mesmerizing
cool-down. Highlights among the three extra tracks include "Freak Out/Starry
Eyes," a moody disco rumble with horns, and "North American Scum (Onanistic Dub),"
a sassy, swirly remix of a hit from LCD Soundsystem's justly praised Sound
Of Silver.
LCD mastermind James Murphy took a lot of flack from indie didacts for aligning
with Nike last year, but it's worth asking, no less now than then: Who else
would make this good on a payday premise that just as easily could have been phoned
in?