If there was one UK over the past five years who have eccentrically cheered up English pop music it would have to be this lot.

Hot Chip are clever, slighty gawky, not terrified of influences and unashamedly English. But it may just be that Englishness that has let them down on this, their fourth album release.
Their breakthrough album The Warning contained two of the catchiest electro pop moments of the last decade, and by 2008 the band were at the top of the game with their dance genre busting Made In The Dark.

This new album has all the trademark Hot Chip markers, catchy lyrics and well crafted pop moments with influences taken from the latest developments in dance culture. But somewhere in the creation of this record an essential joy seems to be absent. Maybe they’ve had kids, maybe they’ve been listening to Radio 2, maybe they spent too much money on new studio tools. Whatever it is, this album lacks the joy, excitement and urgency of its predecessors and recalls the DJ set by Hot Chipper Alexis Taylor at last year’s Clockenflap which sounded like a man going through the motions.

On repeated listens it grows and fans will love title track ‘One Life Stand’ but that quirky excitement is dearly missed.

-SH

Tags: Hot Chip
Posted in Reviews