Hot Chip - Made In The Dark

On a recent TV appearance, Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard remarked, somewhat sarcastically that he was a ‘pop star’. He might not have meant it, but on the evidence of ‘Made In The Dark’, he should. This could well be the best pop album of 2008.

Anyone expecting a record of floor-busters along the lines of the recent Top Ten Kylie reject, or best-known track ‘Over and Over’ should look away now. For while ‘Made In The Dark’ is guaranteed to have you hooked from the first listen, it’s not as immediate as the lead single might suggest.

For starters, there’s a few slowies. ‘Whistle For Will’ is nothing if not whimsical. ‘We’re Looking For A Lot Of Love’ and closer ‘In The Privacy Of Our Love’ both equally downtempo, the latter echoing rather deftly LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Sound Of Silver’ finale ‘New York, I Love You’. ‘Made In The Dark’ is another of these, all as much a grower as ‘The Warning’’s ‘Boy From School’. Just because they’re not frantic in their pace doesn’t mean they’re not about to wedge themselves in the dark recesses of your brain.

Yet, predictably, it is the more dancefloor-friendly numbers which highlight just how close Hot Chip are to becoming a national treasure. ‘Shake A Fist’ is majestic, taking the time to include stereo tricks amongst its various changes and sounding like something you’d find on a Beck album. ‘Wrestlers’ is, in turn, the best hip-hop track released in a while, the call-and-response vocals working a treat over playful lyrics (‘I’ve got a roll of coins, I’m aiming for your loins and I will never stop’). ‘Hold On’, and ‘Don’t Dance’ both disobey the latter, the former continuing the clever lyrical twists with ‘I’m only going to heaven if it feels like hell/I’m only going to heaven if it tastes like caramel’).

It’s a welcome continuation of Hot Chip’s ability to combine instant smashes with continuous growers throughout ‘Made In The Dark’ that serves it so well; there’s more than enough to warrant further investigation, but enough to ensure you’re hooked first time around. We’ve not stopped listening for weeks.