Album Review: Hot Chip - In Our Heads

Hot Chip
In Our Heads
Rating: Grrrr

I will be the first to admit that, up to now, I have not been the world's biggest fan of UK dance-pop act Hot Chip. This is primarily due in part to vocalist Alexis Taylor's voice which I find borders on annoying. While I much prefer the almost monotone, deep intonations of fellow vocalist Joe Goddard, Hot Chip tends to default to Taylor more often that not. When the music backing the vocals is great, I can usually overcome my aversion to Taylor's voice, however, most of Hot Chip's albums/singles haven't been intriguing enough to make me want to soldier through them. With the release of their fifth album In Our Heads, I was resigned to giving them one more shot at trying to win me over. First off, Taylor's voice, which I still think is one inch away from nails on a chalk board to me, is a lot more subtle this go around. Although there are a few moments when his affected falsetto dominates a track, for the most part, he reigns the proclivity in and sings in a deeper range, which brings out a more human, emotional element to the tracks. And adding to my enjoyment, the album is thick with amazing dance tracks and evocative ballads which had me basically forgetting how much I hate his voice.

Opening track "Motion Sickness" reminded me of how the last Cut Copy album Zonoscope grabbed me from the beginning. Building over throbbing electronics and tight rhythm section, the song builds layers and layers of swooning synths. Taylor's voice rides the track in a deeper register, never overtaking the track, working with it instead of against it.



From there the album picks up with the slinky "How Do You Do," which slips and slides over a driving percussive bed of antique sounding digital drum pads.



Elsewhere, the party continues, from the bouncy single "Night and Day," which gets by on sheer enthusiasm;



8 minute track "Flutes" which leans more on Hot Chip's experimental side, using all of its 8 minutes to slowly, yet firmly, grab you and take you on a journey through a house epic;



whereas "Ends of the Earth" drifts into more trancey-ravey territory, kicking up the BPMs and intensity;



"Don't Deny Your Heart" recalls some of the band's earlier R&B inspired material, kicking up a funky disco jam;



to "These Chains," a more melancholy, yet driving track which seems to draw influence from 2-step.



While the majority of In Our Heads is dance floor ready, there are other, more mid-tempo and slower tracks, giving the album a nice diversity, and revealing Hot Chip's gradual progression to more of a structured pop band. Most of these tracks work fairly well, "Let Me Be Him" highlights Goddard's sad voice;



"Look At Where We Are," featuring Taylor on vocals actually is Taylor's best vocal performance, emotive and fragile;



and closing track "Always Been Your Love" is another subtly building mid-tempo track which takes an almost 70s AOR approach, and surprisingly works.



It surprises me how much I really enjoyed this album. Music is always subjective, and one man's trash is another man's treasure. I just never could get a handle on Taylor's voice in order for me to make the jump to liking the band. Either I was worn down by it, or it has finally clicked for me. In Our Heads is Hot Chip's tightest, most cohesive release and right now is on constant repeat.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.