One Life Stand - Hot Chip

Amazon.co.uk Review
Hot Chip's last couple of albums--2006's The Warning and 2008's Made In The Dark--brimmed with the quintet's quirky brand of Prince-like soul, down and dirty hip hop and infectious disco-funk, spawning singles like "Over and Over", "Ready For The Floor" and the wonderful "Boy From School". On One Life Stand, Alexis Taylor and co. have fought against some of their more excitable tendencies and produced an album that's a bit less wild at heart but ultimately more coherent and satisfying. As the exuberant "Thieves In The Night", plangent piano and potent drums of "Hand Me Down Your Love" and pounding title track show, Hot Chip's destination is still very much the dancefloor. There are a couple of slower, more somber tracks-–"Brothers", for example, and "Slush", a brave but successful 6/8 ballad-–but they soon get back to the party with "Alley Cats", the vibrant "We Have Love" and the euphoric finale "Take Me In". In many ways One Life Stand is the perfect electronic pop album. Its mix of colourful songwriting and intelligent lyrics combined with catchy hooks and a continued quest for a rump-shaking good time place Hot Chip at the very top of their game. --Danny McKenna