The bridge between genres is rarely successfully straddled in independent music today. Naturally, it is often crossed, but seldom do you come across a musician or band that can create music containing drastically different styles. The more prominent artists tend to choose a style and remain faithful to it, finding their client base among the listeners of a specific genre. It is in this facet of the music industry that British quintet Hot Chip set themselves apart from their competitors, securing a reputation as connoisseurs of Pop, Electronic, R&B, Soul and Dance music. The band was formed in 2000, two of the members having previously worked together. They signed with Moshi Moshi in 2003 and then released their debut album, “Coming on Strong,” a comparatively mundane album which stayed true to the band’s roots in R&B music but received mixed reactions from critics. In 2006, Hot Chip released their second album “The Warning” under a new record label. In this album, the band shifted toward the Electropop genre and developed their signature vocals, which span several octaves. This technique gives their songs a surreal feeling, and is depicted perfectly in their two biggest hits off “The Warning,” “Over and Over” and “Boy from School.” “Made in the Dark” was released January 22 of this year, and listeners and critics are raving. More than ever before, this new album displays Hot Chip’s adaptability to different genres. After the opening song “Out at the Pictures” comes the previously released single “Shake a Fist,” which sounds much like “Over and Over” and is probably going to become as much of a hit as the captivating classic. The song is essentially split into two halves, the border being an abrupt halt of the first theme and an announcer’s voice declaring, “Before we go any further, I’d like to show y’all a game I made up. This game is called sounds of the studio.” After this interruption a completely new song arrives, which is then twisted to fit into the mold the first half created. A consistent South American percussion punctuates the entire song. Each half of the song is very danceable, the first due to its chorus’ glissando baseline and the second for its fast upbeat melody. However, the interruption makes the song quite difficult to listen to all the way through, and it can get quite annoying after a few plays. “Touch Too Much,” “We’re Looking for a Lot of Love,” and “Whistle for Will” are the slower songs of the album and also, in my opinion, the best. They beg to be played over and over and display Hot Chip’s musical capability to create songs both soulful and complex, playful and mournful. Even in these slow songs, a penetrating beat keeps the listenener interested, and frequent dissonance reminds us that Hot Chip isn’t a watered down feel-good band that merely exploits emotions. The most glaring weakness of the album is “Bendable Poseable,” a song that attempts to shock the listener. It’s a painful mix of off-time guitar, synthesized solos and annoying background effects that sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks. Although parts of the song are intruiging, it’s out of place in an album by a band that prides itself on its ability to create beautiful electronic songs. The album’s title track “Made in the Dark” is also weak. Though it’s a good song, “Made in the Dark” is very out of place in this album. It sounds like something you would find on a Van Morrison record. If Hot Chip really wanted to release this song it should’ve been on an LP, not on their groundbreaking third CD. Overall, Hot Chip’s “Made in the Dark” is a very good album, but not a cohesive one. Certain songs should be purchased as singles, but listening to the album from start to end may be frustrating; you may think that your library is on shuffle because each song on the album sounds so different from the last. If you’re the kind of person who listens to music to fit your mood, don’t bother trying to listen to this album all the way through. Although the album lacks cohesion, the quality of the individual songs makes it one of the best albums of the year.
