Hot Chip - In Our Heads

In Our Heads is Hot Chip’s fifth full-length album. And while I will on occasion selfishly pine for that seemingly made in mom’s basement, lo-fi sound I first heard years ago, it would be selfish of me to expect the band to simply revisit those sounds. This album provides us with a well-produced polished sound, with the guys keen to speak of their relationships in a light-hearted way. 

Throughout, In Our Heads offers us a nostalgic 80s synth-pop feel while mostly keeping a big pulsing beat, and interlacing sonic delights that are a pleasure to the ears. Listening to the album I found myself mentally wandering into a Hot Chip show, imagining the feel and vibe of certain songs played live. 

One of the great things about groove-oriented albums such as this is that if done right, you can simply melt into the individual tracks, making time inconsequential. Several tracks on the album do this and they stand out.

The album’s first track, “Motion Sickness”, starts off slowly then builds to that big synth sound Hot Chip does so well. “Don’t Deny Your Heart” is fantastic as it takes us from this ethereal feel encompassing the song into a head-bobbing groove Quincy Jones would be proud of, and then bringing us back again to ensure that we remember the lightness of the track. To be honest, I had this one on repeat. 

Things really take off at “Night and Day” the albums most musically interesting song with a bass line that makes the body shake and weave. “Flutes” follows nicely, a song with an infectious rhythm chant-like beginning slowly returning us to the head-bobbing state we found ourselves earlier. “Ends Of The Earth” continues this trend, transforming itself into a vehicle that will actually transport us to those very ends.

Even the slower “Now There Is Nothing” works for me because it lets us inside Alexis Taylor, who we learn spends his time in his thoughts lost in his mind, a feeling we can all relate to as well.

This album is a fun listen that will at times get you moving and shaking, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

FINAL MARK: B+