The band are well known for their catchy melodies, and electronic prowess, and 'In Our Heads' shows the bands progression into even more groundbreaking material, not only lyrically, but sonically.
Listening to In Our Heads, you can tell that the side projects of various Hot Chip members has liberated them creatively, with influences from Joe Goddard's 'The 2 Bears', especially on the track 'These Chains'. It is what you would come to expect from a Hot Chip album, but with that something extra.
The beats are faced paced, but the overall speed varies throughout the album. One notable change in pace comes from the song 'Look At Where We Are', in which Alexis Turner's recognisable falsetto, sings about an obvious relationship, and reflecting on how far they have come. 'Look at where we are, remember where we started out..' could also not just be about love, but about how far the band has come, in terms of musical substance.
I caught myself having a little groove to the track 'Don't Deny Your Heart', where the infectious electronic beats and bongo drums would be able to get anyone's hips swinging. The numerous layers of sound just go to show how complicated Hot Chip's music is; the key change for the chorus works well, and transforms the song completely. Who doesn't love a good key change though?
'Flutes' slowly unravels during the course of it's seven minutes, kind of like a knitted scarf whose threads are coming undone. The progression of adding layer after layer culminates in a climax, and by then the back burners are on, and it simmers through the rest of the song. It's definitely a clear favourite from the album, and I can only imagine what aural pleasures will be experienced from hearing it live. And it mightn't be too long until we see the boys from Hot Chip in Australia again; they have expressed interest in coming back here to tour in late 2012-early 2013.
In Our Heads is definitely a combination of everything that Hot Chip have learnt since their formation in 2000, and it never fails to make you dance. The infectious pop melodies are ever present, and kudos must be given to their fearlessness in creating an album that again pushes boundaries for Hot Chip.
Check out the dizzy video of 'Flutes' below:
Also check out the very danceable 'Don't Deny Your Heart' below:
You can purchase Hot Chip's new album In Our Heads here:
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/in-our-heads/id516116769
Find out more about Hot Chip here:
http://hotchip.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/hotchip
https://twitter.com/hot_chip
http://soundcloud.com/hot_chip
I've also just started doing reviews for Radar Radio's website!
Check it out here: http://www.radarmusic.com.au/artists/reviews/
