Disco & The Halfway To Discontent (Luaka Bop/Astralwerks)
Rating: 5 out of 7
By Michael Lipton
Recording two projects for David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, London's Cornershop managed to meld its eclectic mix of Eastern and Western influences into at least one memorable U.S. release (When I Was Born For The 7th Time). Clinton (no relation to George or Bill), featuring Cornershop singer/songwriter/bassist Tjinder Singh and guitarist Benedict Ayres, deconstructs the former band's sometimes-jumbled mix and breaks it down to a simple formula.
The result is considerably sparser and less influenced by Singh's Punjabi/Sikh roots. If Singh previously was concerned with racism, he's now focused on the politics of the dancefloor. The hypnotic opener, "People Power In The Disco Hour," revolves around a simple keyboard/bass/drum groove and delivers a message repeated throughout the disc: "Disco is a halfway to a full discontent." Of course, evidenced on tracks like "Good S---," Clinton never loses sight of the fact that halfway is often better than nothing: The squishy "Buttoned Down Disco" resurfaces at the end of the disc as "Fila Brazillia Disco Frisco Mix" and there's plenty of retro effects throughout. If there's a single to be had, the poppy, syncopated "The Hot For May Sound" is a natural to match the success of Cornershop's 1997 hit "Brimful Of Asha." Unfortunately, "G.T. Road," an hypnotic instrumental driven by a looped track of tablas, is the sole Eastern-influenced cut.
All recordings written by T. Singh, courtesy of Luaka Bop/Astralwerks Records and Wiiija Music, administered by Momentum Music Ltd.
