This shit’s out there. I don’t know whether to like it or hate it, to be honest. This gray area is in a gray area of its own.
It’s stupidly obnoxious! I’ll be loving a song and then something Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard do with their sometimes live, sometimes sampled vocals will make me abhor the whole thing. Then, out of nowhere, a part of the song will become some odd variation of what sounds like a Russian folk-dance song and I’ll like it again.
Things that are downright embarrassing to listen to are songs like Shake A Fist. The song starts off well enough. It tosses its likable qualities at you like coins from a wishing well. Then, for no reason, in the middle of the song, a little do-dad from a band member pops up about a “little game” he invented called “Sounds of the Studio.” Apparently, we’ll need our headphones for this one, folks, so it’s gonna be intense. Some may call what follows “super fun” or “playful.” I call it masturbatory. The deejaying is great. The random hawk-like nerd screams mixed in are pro-wrestling-quality greatness. That level of “greatness” could be avoided if the odd-ball samples could be cut.
Obviously, there are losers on this album. However, much like any high school in history, there are winners that stick out like sore thumbs in the bunch. Interpret that from any standpoint that fits your fancy. I like a good portion of the songs, regardless of the fact that I probably wouldn’t listen to them more than once a random glance on the iPod or so. Hold On is a stand-out.
There’s a hefty amount of songs to try out. Made In The Dark fits right along with the other Hot Chip releases. I’ll wander a guess that when you’re stone cold sober, it just doesn’t work. Stoned, it works fine. My take on these guys is that they are to British indy music what Monty Python are to British humor. What you do get, you love, but what you don’t get just confuses the shit out of you.
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also, another reason to deduct cool points from these guys: they are the “exclusive” band on myspace’s homepage right now. *shudder*
i think shake a fist (the “sounds of the studio” break is a sample from the todd rundgren track intro from something/anything?, just saying) is one of the only good tracks on the record along with ready for the floor. i used to be a big hot chip fan, however, this record is crap. sounds like a stretch for the mainstream to me.
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Comment by amber — February 4, 2008 @ 11:56 am
i think this album is truly terrible. and i was a fan of previous releases. i had a feeling that these guys had a shelf life. just like !!!, that shit just doesn’t hold up for long. fun for a moment, but let’s not make a career out of it, shall we boys?