If I were a different person I'd be all over Disco and the Halfway Discontent, the first album by Clinton, a dance/funk/trip-hop side project from Anglo-Indian rocker Tjinder Singh of Cornershop. If I was one of those girls with crisp, wide eyes, barrettes in my hair, and a baby blue T-shirt two sizes too small that said "Poof" in a cartoon cloud, then I'd really be into Clinton. Because I'd say that Clinton's music was both "ethereal" and "intense."

But I'm not that type of person, so I come away feeling that Clinton is at times too hip for its own good, and also, at times, painfully dull. By the same token, there are moments of genius on it, and, I suppose, after a few complimentary Skyy Vodkas, it would make my butt wiggle like anyone else's.

The lead-off track is "People Power In The Disco Hour," a Beck-like dance tune inasmuch as it fashions itself as a full-on 70s hit without any conspicuous irony. It is produced out the wazoo, with an uncompromising beat (real instruments!) and lots of neato sound effects. I'm told it's already marching its way up dance charts, and may even be a big hit if the video is any good. Frankly, it's no better or worse than the post-"Mellow Gold" Beck.

The rest of the CD is quite different from "People Power," which'll be sure to piss off suburban kids who buy the disc if and when it becomes a big smash. Only one other track has a traditional lead vocal line. The mostly instrumental album has a bit of singing peppered throughout the phat beat laden disc, some in French, some in Punjabi. Also, two tracks feature a performance by the most electronically obscured voice I've ever heard on record. Cribbing from both "Joshua" in the film War Games and "Alpha 60" in Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville, these tracks make Cher's "Believe" sound like Enrico Caruso. It's loads of fun. The first few times.

At it's height, Clinton's base of "world music" dance beats, sci-fi noises and found chatterings resemble the Brian Eno/David Byrne collaboration "My Life In The Bush of Ghosts" (indeed, Clinton is distributed through Byrne's Luaka Bop label.) But whereas "Ghosts" used these elements to construct a sort of reverse-orchestral commentary on chaos, Clinton is just about the booty-bump. Not that Clinton doesn't succeed in its endeavor, it's just that I find that it doesn't stick to my ribs.

This is music to scope a room to. It's music to try and block out as someone trying to talk to you has to scream in your ear.

But if I were the hot chick with the "Hello Kitty" back-pack at Twilo, I might feel otherwise. I might, gasp, actually have come there to dance.