London 5-piece Hot Chip have seen an incredible amount of success with their music over the years, with hits like ‘Ready For The Floor’ and ‘Over And Over’ amassing tens of millions of plays across streaming platforms. The group returned this month to release their 8th career studio album, and their 4th under Domino Recording Co. Titled ‘Freakout/Release’, the 11-track project sticks to what Hot Chip are known for, 80’s-esque synth pop anthems with a hint of 2010’s indie-electronica and first
rate production value. It ping pongs between vibrant melodic gems and slightly melancholic ballads. ‘Time’, ‘Down’, and ‘Eleanor’ fall to the upbeat and rebelliously edgy side of synth pop, while ‘Broken’, ‘Not Alone’, and ‘Miss The Bliss’ are much more conscious and close to the heart. It’s a healthy balance of light and dark that keeps things extremely earnest and delivers a product that’s not a straight up dance record, but isn’t too pessimistic either. While it may not be the most impressive work we’ve heard from the group, there are a couple of great tracks on the album, and we would be surprised if we didn’t hear a few pop on radio or in some big Spotify playlists over the next few months.
Where to start:
Time: Big synth melodies layered with pitched up vocal hooks
The Evil That Men Do: Hollow percussive knocks and rousing vocal chants
Eleanor: Amusing lead vocals are met with zesty synth work
Previous from Hot Chip:
A Bath Full of Ecstasy LP (2019, Domino)
Why Make Sense? LP (2015, Domino)
If you like this then check out:
Simian Mobile Disco – Murmurations LP (2018, [PIAS])
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream LP (2017, Columbia)
Hot Chip – Freakout/Release is out now on Domino Recording Co.