Hot Chip - One Life Stand (2010)

I’m very pleased with this new album by Hot Chip. Their last two didn’t click with me, even though there is nothing especially bothersome about this band. I especially like the vocals on this album. They have a nice sort of airy croon that’s very emotive and has a soothing tone and meshes well with the electronics that color the album. It isn’t a dance pop record in the sense that it’s a club-ready hip-swinger sort of album, but its dance elements are more subtle giving it a lush sound, helped greatly by the vocal style. “Thieves in the Night” which opens the album is pretty much a perfect pop song. It has a nice beat to it and a pleasant melody. The synths gain momentum as the song goes until it’s a full-fledged electronica background and by the time it ends, is just sublime. I think it’s the best song of this style since “All My Friends.” While it isn’t the only good song on this album, the opener is easily the best. Another highlight is the title track, which places a catchy beat behind the soulful vocals. “Brothers” shows they can pull of a slow song as well as they do upbeat ones. The vocalists alternate verses. Finally, “Take it In” seems to want to end the album with a bang, driven by a gritty bass line over a club beat and a melody loosely reminiscient of a James Bond score. Even the weaker tracks aren’t all that bad. “Slush,” for example, is a bit on the drowsy side, although the middle section in which the vocalists duet is nice and the second half of the song showcases some interesting textures. Of course there are the requisite ringing synth notes, pounding beats, and glowing ambiance that make this dance pop, but Hot Chip use these tools to perfection on this album. That’s what makes for good pop music, having the fundamentals down and adding some personality and emotion to the mix. I think I’ll have to go relisten to The Warning and Made in the Dark.

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