One could hardly be faulted for writing off Hot Chip after hearing them sing of crap Kraft dinners and “motherfuckers who say they’re down with Prince” on debut Coming On Strong. It was a nice enough album, but hardly anyone could have predicted that the UK group’s smart-assed prankster ways would translate into pure dance-pop euphoria on follow-up The Warning. All of a sudden, these digital goofballs became the best new band in England, all without losing their sense of humor. With third album Made in the Dark, Hot Chip come on even stronger, cranking up the dance grooves as high as they’ll go, while alternately smoothing out the chill-out tracks to allow some breathing room between sweaty rockers like “Shake a Fist” and “Out At the Pictures.” Single “Ready For the Floor” is a solid groover in the same vein as “Over and Over” or “Boy From School,” while “Touch Too Much” is a high-energy disco revelation. The title track is a beautiful and soulful ballad, almost completely divorced from anything resembling electronics, but “One Pure Thought” puts the synthesizers and drum machines back in control for a furious, strobe-flashing dance party. In just three years, Hot Chip has made incredible strides in songwriting and sonic mastery, but if the “half nelson/Willie Nelson” joke in “Wrestlers” is any indication, they’ve still got smirks on their faces.
--Jeff Terich
