If you wonder whether belting out the lyrics to "Bad Romance" is an affront to your masculinity, then perhaps you should not try Hot Chip, a five-piece band from Great Britain. If you are ready for a true emotional high at your next disco party, however, then it might be time to pick up Hot Chip's newest effort, One Life Stand. Be prepared for what might be the best album yet from this Grammy-nominated group.
One Life Stand combines witty lyrics with driving bass and synthesizers, typical Hot Chip formula. Gone, though, are the ridiculous songs about stale food and obscure comic books, replaced by sincere chorus dedicated to love and its many struggles.
Hot Chip's 2008 album Made in the Dark featured lyrics like those found on "Wrestlers" - "I learned all I know from watching wrestling / I think you think I'm about to throw the towel in." It's cute, but two years later, Alexis Taylor's vocals on One Life Stand's "Hand Me Down Your Love" prove that Hot Chip has matured emotionally: "So why can't I be bright like my lover's light?"
This sincerity transforms Hot Chip from what was once a lackadaisical stroll to what is now a philosophical excursion into sentimental love with disco-inspired tones. "Take It In" develops this beautiful contrast most thoroughly, beginning with a haunting synth beat straight out of 1985 and quickly escalating into the disturbingly powerful voice of Joe Goddard, who delivers poignant lines such as, "And oh, my heart has flown to you just like a dove / It can fly, it can fly / And oh, please take my heart and keep it close to you / Take it in, take it in." The interlocking melody of Goddard and the synth line takes you on a careening four-minute musical journey.
Although the rest of the album cannot live up to the wrenching harmony of "Take It In," Hot Chip always has made catchy songs that manage to get stuck in your head for days. "Thieves In The Night" is an explosive six-minute track that makes you want to leave your dance moves all over the floor and is sure to be featured at the next party I host. On the other hand, the album's title track combines the finger-snapping bass of 1970s disco with a swing-synth melody, all of which are driven by Alexis Taylor's impressive falsetto.
Through these songs, One Life Stand is heartfelt and personal and it deserves its place on your MP3 player.
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