Hot Chip

In Our Heads

This review originally ran in AP 288.

Although U.K. dance commanders Hot Chip are dynamic in concert, their full-lengths can be curiously lethargic. In Our Heads is no exception; moments such as the sleepy R&B slow jam “Look At Where We Are” and soft-rocker “Always Been Your Love” are energy deflating. However, the band’s fifth studio album mostly keeps the BPMs brisk and the retro-minded programming colorful. “Don’t Deny Your Heart” boasts spring-break beats and cheesy, ’80s-FM-radio keyboards, while the Röyksopp-like “These Chains” hums with chopped beats and midnight synths. In Our Heads’ highlight, however, is “Night And Day,” a blocky electro jam with a racing tempo, diva vocals and an early-’80s discotheque vibe. Plus, the tune’s spoken-word bridge contains the immortal lines: “I like Zapp, not Zappa/So please quit your jibber-jabber.”

Domino http://dominorecordco.us

“Night And Day”