LCD Soundsystem has released a new single, “Tonite,” off their upcoming album American Dream, along with its accompanying music video. And, as the band has always done, it adds a bit of glitz and glam to life’s grit and grime.
The video has the aesthetic of a late ’70s or early ’80s disco music video (Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” video from 2012 employed a similar theme, albeit in a more upbeat and boisterous way) that fits the vibe of the song well. Throughout the almost six minute-long video, Murphy and his band are standing and/or sitting on a rotating circular stage, with Murphy singing into a tape machine.
The song itself is deeply cynical and dark, as Murphy contemplates aging (“And you’re getting older/ I promise you this, you’re getting older/ But the future’s a nightmare/ And there’s nothing I can do/ There’s nothing anyone can do about this”), the monotony of popular music (“Everybody’s singing the same song/ It goes ‘tonight, tonight, tonight’”), the internet (“You’ve lost your internet and we’ve lost our memories/ We had a paper trail that led to our secrets/ But embarrassing pictures have now all been deleted/ By versions of selves that we thought were the best ones”), and, of course, life being miserable (“And life is finite/ But, shit, it feels like forever”).
The video is fun and beautifully made but perhaps does not quite measure up to the wonderfully quirky madness of the This Is Happening-era videos such as the Spike Jonze-directed “Drunk Girls” video. Regardless, the video oozes that middle-aged unconcerned cool that makes Murphy and co. so great.
“Tonite” is the third single that LCD Soundsystem has released for American Dream. The previous two—the Bowie-sounding anthem “Call the Police” and the slower, moodier title track—were released in early May. American Dream—LCD Soundsystem’s fourth album and first in five years—will be released on Sept. 1.