New Music: Hot Chip

I thought I'd start off the year on a positive contrary to our usual negativity. In short, Hot Chip are so tragically uncool white boys and of course we love that! Made in the Dark is at the very least a solid follow up to the resounding success of The Warning. You'll have those who will criticise the more experimental sound of tracks like "We're looking for a lot of love" but really I think the title of the album itself is a preemptive clue as to the direction Hot Chip were looking to achieve. For me, Hot Chip are without question like the finest chefs of their musical styling and Made in the Dark says that rather than sifting through the melting pot of ideas and trying to produce one succinct main meal, they’ve opted to give us a 13 course sampling experience (which anyone who knows anything about five star dining will agree is better). At times they do indeed stretch their wings arguably a little further than their culinary skills would allow them to master but even in my harshest moments I could not say they are far off getting there.

Personally I love it, including the more outside the bag Hot Chip tracks on the album. But not for a second will I sit here and tell you they’ve pioneered something totally different with these tracks and came up with an immortal end product. I mean the songs are nice and for those who enjoy good music, nice is without doubt good enough.

I think we should be thankful they didn’t decide to package their brand of electro anymore commercially pop predictable so as to attract the same scum who latch their thirsty fangs on the likes of Sneaky Sound System & Daft Punk. As “Shake a fist” suggests while Hot Chip are great musicians in many respects, lovable tunes for white boys to dance badly to is what they should stick with. Luckily though for the devoted few, Hot Chip still paddle to far on the weird side to interest these demons, but I tell you the ice is getting thinner.

Mp3: Hot Chip - Shake a fist

Myspace: Hot Chip

Buy Hot Chip - Made in the Dark [Amazon]