In Our Heads

Hot Chip is a relatively modern English synthpop band out of London that draws influences from house and disco, and its members are regularly active with other musical acts and DJ sets. It's clear from listening to this record, In Our Heads, that they understood their forefathers, like OMD and Depeche Mode, in their use of analog synths. Yet, they bring enough indie sensibilities in sound effects and songwriting that they avoid being too direct a throwback. The bouncy synthesizers, the guitar riffs, intricate percussion, and colorful textures work well across a variety of jams for the dance floor. The glistening keys that open to the disco beat and horn accompaniment of "Motion Sickness", the low-key simmer of "How Do You Do?", the guitar-led swaying ballad of "Look At Where We Are", the new jack swing shuffle of "These Chains", the somber bass-driven waltz of "Now There Is Nothing", this record goes through a good assortment of arrangements while employing introspective lyrics.

That said, I do feel that the vocal performances of the members were mostly dry, lacking emotional weight in delivery, even bordering on spoken dialogue on the closer "Always Been Your Love". For as much as these sonic palettes they can tap into are fun and danceable, I wish the vocals matched that energy more.

Still, this was a solid record from Hot Chip. I'll keep my eye open for these lads.

I like Alexis and the boys earlier album The Warning quite a lot. This album a touch less. Still great fun.

Haunting vocals over relentless beats. Should it be this album included vs any of their others? I don't know, but they absolutely deserve to be here.

Very nice album.

Tepid fast fast shopping music.

Lot to like here (Flutes especially). But probably not in the top three of Hot Chip albums I'd choose for this list

This isn't my thing, and it just doesn't do anything for me.

I always thought Hot Chip were a comedy band, no idea where I got that from.

This album feels like it was made for gyms and exercise classes.
"Let's sweat, let's sweat... come on ladies, keep moving, it's only your fat crying!"

I do not like Hot Chip. I do not like tinny synth. I do not like the vocals.
I did not like this style of eighties music and i appreciate bad attempts to revisit it even less.
That all said there has been much worse than this on the list, so it would feel harsh to give it 1/5

This was another album that just sort of passed me by. I listened to it (twice in fact!) but remember virtually nothing about it the next day, although I will say he has a nice voice. On one song, he sounded so much like Damon Albarn, I had to google and check there wasn't a guest appearance.

Another for the "wouldn't choose to listen to it, wouldn't skip if it came on shuffle" pile.

3/5

I'm not sure how I missed this one when it was new, but this was the first time I'd ever heard it. I really enjoyed it all the way through. A few tracks could have been cut down by several minutes, but that was my only complaint.

For me, Hot Chip is a band that I really can't choose a favourite album or song, I just love all their moments. "In Our Heads" is probably their peak before switching gears in "Why Make Sense", and it's just SO GOOD. It was really emotional for me hearing it again after some time, I think this was their first full album I heard.

I generally liked this, although I thought the vocals were a little uninspired. By the end of the album I was begining to tire of it. A low three.

The opening track to this record is hilariously off kilter and absurd “remember people thought the world was round?” Hot Chip are not aiming for the charts with this one, they’re just vibing. In fact, there’s nothing that can really be called a single across the entire tracklist which is solid in the most part but does peter out towards the end.

Hot Chip is always a good time. Never really doing anything different, but just making fun music. 4/5

Middling electronica. Not exciting nor offensive.

Electronica isn't really my thing, but this wasn't as bad as some others I've had to listen to for this list

It's pretty fun to listen to. It didn't make me go crazy, but I liked it.

The first "new" album that wasn't in my copy of the book.
I totally missed it at the time of release. A very enjoyable album. Will be looking out for a physical version of it.

Suenan muy bien, los conocía y es interesante esa música de baile machacona que suena a electrónica, pero es alógica. Me guardo en favoritos "Ends of the Earth" y le doy 2 estrellas porque tampoco es que sea una locura de álbum.