Album Review: LCD Soundsystem – 45:33 EP

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You’re probably thinking James Murphy is a bit on the tubby side to be promoting Nike. It’s a bit like Ricky Gervais writing a comedy skit on rock climbing. Or Simon Pegg starring in a film directed by one of Friends about a fat bloke who runs a fictious marathon across Lond– oh, hang on.

Despite Murphy’s sick note from his mum, the suits behind the Swoosh felt that taking a vast wad of cash they’d saved by having all their overpriced running shoes made by toddlers in China and handing it over to the pasty wheezebag would be a good thing. In return, they got 45
minutes and 33 seconds of LCD Soundsystem essentially trialling what would become this year’s chuffing spectacular post-punk disco funk orgy ‘Sound Of Silver’.

So what is it? A ‘work out mix’, it says here. Previously iTunes-only but now on a shiny physical disc, ‘45:33’ is about the time it takes to get a proper sweat on, or something. When probed about it, Murphy admitted that it was just a chance for him to get all Kraftwerk on our asses. Which this isn’t even. Not until near the end, before it sounds like the sprinkling of pixie dust, by which point NN would have given up on the running and nipped into the nearby newsagents for a Mars bar. Instead, it’s almost mock Motown tomfoolery followed by a rough cut of current single ‘Someone Great’.

What those who have already downloaded this don’t have are the three extra tracks, beginning with ‘Freak Out/Starry Eyes’, a meandering two-part loose groove that would have Happy Mondays swapping whatever pipes they usually play with for trumpets and bongos. Cowbells included, naturally.

You also get a quelchy reworking of ‘North American Scum’, which save the cheerleader chant sounds not a jot like the original. Meanwhile, ‘Hippie Priest Bum-Out’ flops about like a stoned
chubster on his way down to the corner shop to buy Rizlas and munchies. Probably wearing a Nike tracksuit. Not run of the mill, mind. (JM)

Download These
LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great (from Sound of Silver, inspired by
45:33)

LCD Soundsystem – Hippie Priest Bum Out

Tagged as: LCD Soundsystem