Clinton
Disco & the Halfway to Discontent (Luaka Bop)
Hop nimbly from pre-fab psuedo-Primus to electro-Japanese pop, then from funky vocorder disco to Beckian Indio-country. At that point, you’re still only a few tracks into Disco & the Halfway to Discontent, the new disc from Cornershop’s Tjinder Singh and Benedict Ayres. It’s as if they decided that running the gamut wasn’t enough — they had to set up an obstacle course as well, as illustrated by such far-flung song titles as “People Power in the Disco Hour,” “Electric Ice Cream (Miami Jammies),” “Mr. President,” and “Fila Brazillia Disco Frisco Mix.” Luckily, given the consistently high melodic content and good beat (make that beats), the overall result isn’t nearly as jarring as it sounds like it might be. Neither is the political undercurrent in any way likely to keep one’s feet and ass from moving; in point of fact, the Discontent is hardly noticeable among the sea of Disco. Still, when all is said and done (a personal favorite is the bubblegum Prince-ism of “Welcome to Tokio, Otis Clay”), the listener should have figured out whether the “Clinton” being examined under the microscope is George or Bill. Answer: It’s both. 
This article appears in February 18 • 2000.