Hot Chip Albums (4)
'Made in the Dark'
Release Date 1/30/2008
Tracks 13
Label Toshiba EMI
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Before The Warning, Hot Chip was poppy, but not exactly pop; their songs had clever ideas, but were missing the pieces they needed to really make an impact. The Warning brought those pieces together with a satisfying click, making the band's music immediate as well as pleasingly off-kilter. Made in the Dark isn't quite as big a leap forward as The Warning was, but it doesn't need to be -- Hot Chip has already hit their stride, and now their pop machinery chugs along at full speed. Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard's dry wit is illuminated by neon melodies and punctuated by attention-getting beats, as it was on The Warning, but that album had clear-cut singles, including "Over and Over" and "And I Was a Boy from School." Here, it's wonderfully unclear which songs are the A-sides, aside from the brilliant lead single, "Ready for the Floor," which was the first clue that Made in the Dark was going to be something special. It builds from a rubber band bassline, piling nervy guitars, synths that sound like they were borrowed from Taco's "Puttin' on the Ritz" or Matthew Wilder's "Break My Stride," and a cheery yet bittersweet melody into a perfect fusion of pop and dance that is definitely ready for the floor. The rest of Made in the Dark boasts some of Hot Chip's most kinetic music, with rhythms and melodies that are just as hyper-articulate as the wordplay: it takes a special kind of perverse wit to name one of the album's most head-noddingly insistent songs "Don't Dance." "Bendable Poseable," on the other hand, is exactly as wiggly as the title implies, and its ragga-tinged spoken word bits show that Hot Chip's sound is more than bendable enough to accommodate almost any styles or influences that Taylor and Goddard want to fit into it. Made in the Dark expands Hot Chip's emotional range as much as their musical range, swinging from the funky, pissed-off "Shake a Fist" to the stream-of-consciousness pop of "One Pure Thought," a witty, wordy gem that comes across like Paul McCartney backed by New Order. Made in the Dark's main weakness might be its ballads, but that may just be in comparison to its many energetic moments, which are so addictive that it feels like a forced come-down whenever the band slows things down. On their own terms, however, "We're Looking for a Lot of Love" is luminously sad, and the title track's heartfelt simplicity and restraint is impressive. And while "Whistle for Will" and "In the Privacy of Our Love" end the album on a strangely sleepy note, their awkwardness might make them a little sweeter precisely because they're not slick. Without these ballads, Made in the Dark would have the ruthless perfection of a greatest-hits collection; as it is, it's just a very, very good album. Hot Chip has honed their skills so much and so quickly that they're almost unrecognizable from the band that made Coming on Strong just three years before. They're still a quirky band, no doubt, but now they're using those quirks to make their most accomplished album to date. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Keeping their hot streak of spotting quality artists when they hear them, the good folks at DFA welcomed to their already diverse and talented roster Hot Chip. The "Over and Over" teaser single featured the band in rocking fashion, complete with DFA signature production and a chorus courtesy of Alexis Taylor that sounds hauntingly similar to something Paul McCartney would write had he been paying attention to the music of the youth in his own backyard. A definite departure and a step in the right direction over 2005's inconsistent full-length Coming on Strong, Hot Chip's creative maturity is immediately evident in the energetic opening. "Careful," which is laced with punchy, crisp hi hats and snare drums, then gives way to the dramatic "And I Was a Boy from School." They've gone beyond the quirky electro-pop into something much more focused and pop friendly (especially with the band's tight vocal harmonies). The title track has production that wouldn't be out of place on I Am Robot and Proud's last few records, or Postal Service outtakes. But like these artists, Hot Chip focuses more on song arrangements and structure rather than technology and programming showmanship. It sums up the core of what made The Warning so accessible and enjoyable right from the onset: it's like listening to early New Order records for the first time, waiting for the next one with a little bit of excited anticipation to see what's going to happen next with every new song. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On Coming on Strong, Hot Chip access the same wry, purposely casual sound that permeated the Beta Band's early material. Frail keyboard melodies play out over amateurish drum programming, with their lyrics a mix of winking boasts and the afterimages from a thousand stoned listens to old Stevie Wonder and Prince records. The sound works on "Keep Fallin'," "Beach Party," and -- shocker -- "Down with Prince" (a song made to do the robot to if there ever was one). Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor know they'll never be Prince, never be Stevie. So they use awkwardness to their advantage, couching every reference and blurping bass lick in half-seriousness. "You Ride, We Ride, in My Ride" sounds really unfinished, with weird gaps between the harmonies and vintage keys. It could be a bunch of guys trying earnestly to write a Super Furry Animals song but failing, to hilarious result. And yet, when its rhythms pick up, the song becomes something listenable and even fun, its titular catch phrase floating over the simplistic music like rap lyrics used casually between friends. This is endearing -- Hot Chip's sense of humor is as contagious as their knack for reinvention is obvious. But those traits can't make Coming on Strong sound any less unfinished or even tossed off at times. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Just one year after the release of their Victory Garden debut, the gorgeous rainy day soundtrack Mexico, England's Hot Chip return with the cheekily titled Sanfrandisco E-Pee on their own Ringsting Recordings label. This time around, the boys drift briefly away from the sparse acoustic melancholia of the Mexico, and experiment further with peppy lo-fi techno blips and beeps. However, the star of the show remains Alexis Taylor's effortlessly heavenly vocals, in the tradition of Nick Drake, Smokey Robinson, or Jeff Buckley, but without the sort of haughty pretension such comparisons might imply. Suffice to say, Chris Martin can only dream about having this much soul. The album-opening title track is a surprisingly playful number that pairs quirky instrumentation with tipsy, talky vocals to great, dancey faux-disco effect while "Making Tracks" finds Hot Chip returning to the sweet acoustic techno-lite sound that propelled much of the Mexico. On "Making Tracks," a beat machine carries on quietly in the background amid shimmering acoustic guitars, which are topped off with Taylor's heartbreaking vocals, soft and gentle, as though he's singing to himself in the night, careful not to disturb the neighbors. Similarly beautiful, "Flaw" is driven by a dull percussive sound evoking the rhythm of a solemn heartbeat, as Taylor this time trades vocals with bandmate Joe Goddard, whose voice sounds equally aching and lonely, though just a bit more downtrodden, making the combination of the two singers perfect. The boys venture into a jangly country-esque realm with "I Do," and wrap things up with another duet between Goddard and Taylor called "Fanta," which features a hypnotic chorus mantra of "Make sounds of the summer.../So sweet, you're in love now." Those who think Beth Orton, Beck, or Portishead have the market cornered on lovely songs melding tech and acoustic pop are sorely mistaken, and would be well-served to check out Hot Chip immediately. With any luck, this outfit will start to garner the degree of recognition it deserves, soon. ~ Karen E. Graves, All Music Guide
