Hot Chip's New Release Available for a "First Listen" on NPR

Photo courtesy of the artist

NPR's "First Listen" program is featuring the fifth album from the U.K. synth pop band Hot Chip, In Our Heads.  I was eager to dig in and look for another fave song from the group, which would continue my love affair with their unabashed dance music which eagerly embraces a myriad of musical influences.  I was introduced to the group with the crazy fun of "Over and Over" from 2006's The Warning and "Ready for the Floor" off of 2008's Made in the Dark.  Their last release, One Life Stand, yielded another song bursting of pure pop pleasure by the same name. Its sweet sentiment that what happens on the dance floor continues off site in daily life together only made me love the band more.  

In Our Heads expands on that notion, with background sounds of a baby cooing, children chanting and playground noises filling out the music.  The opening track, "Motion Sickness" introduces the collection with a pulsing beat intro until vocal harmonies reminisce about "Remember when we first heard the wall of sound?" There's a dreamy spaced groove in "Look At Where We Are" and an enchanting swirl of synth layers for "Flutes."  "Night and Day"sets up electronic blips and pops around soulful vocals that reference "jibber jabber" while asking, "Do I look like a rapper?" While nothing immediately jumps out being as infectious as the three songs mentioned above, the eleven new ones are a welcome addition to any party playlist.

Listen to In Our Heads until June 11th at the link here and enjoy the videos from the others below.  Plus, I recently met the band's Al Doyle (also of the late great LCD Soundsystem, in photo above on the left) during a recent NYC stop with his new project, New Build.

Hot Chip - Over An