LCD Soundsystem: 45:33

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