Artist – Album: Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Released: 28th January 2010
Sounds Like: One ripe band
In the two years between 2008’s bouncy Made in the Dark and
this album, Hot Chip seemed to have matured a bit and lost their way to the
dancefloor. Whereas the previous album had indietronica belters such as ‘Ready for the Floor’ and ‘One Pure Thought’ and 2006’s The Warning
was loaded with dance floor fillers, this album contains nothing so unapologetically
boogie-able.
To be fair, for the most part this is more of the same from
the London lads; their trademark delicate fusion of disco synthpop and
bittersweet vulnerable vocals remains in full force. The first half of the
album contains the stronger tracks: ‘Hand
Me Down Your Love’ could still get you shaking your booty, and ‘I Feel Better’ and ‘One Life Stand’ both successfully blend robotic verses with rousing
choruses. That said, even the concept of the title track – a more permanent
version of a one night stand – hints to the fact that they’re now happily
settling down.
Unfortunately, these highlights aren’t backed up by a good
enough rest of the album. ‘Brothers’ is
schmaltzy and ‘Slush’ is slushy. ‘Alley Cats’ is good, but I can’t even
recall what the last three tracks sound like, despite listening to them
repeatedly today whilst playing FIFA.
Hot Chip are growing up and it makes sense that they can’t
be getting on down like they used to. I like to think of this as more of a
transitional album. It’s pretty good but the boys aren’t done yet.
Albumaday... rating: 6/10
1. Thieves
in the Night – 6:09
2. Hand
Me Down Your Love – 4:33
3. I
Feel Better – 4:41
4. One
Life Stand – 5:23
5. Brothers
– 4:21
6. Slush
– 6:29
7. Alley
Cats – 5:21
8. We
Have Love – 4:28
9. Keep
Quiet – 4:02
10. Take
It In – 4:10
Listen to ‘Hand Me
Down Your Love’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9c9gHA1gqQ
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