One Life Stand
Hot Chip
EMI Records
3.5/5 Stars
When an album opens with the gradually building synthesizer and a lone drum beat of One Life Stand, there can be no doubt that something musically intriguing is afoot.
Opening with the memorable track “Thieves in the Night,” British electropop band Hot Chip’s fourth studio album feels nothing like its previous release, Made in the Dark. Members of the band have suggested that One Life Stand is going back to basics, and less futuristic in its ambition than the band’s previous efforts.
Right from the outset, this distinction is clear: the synthesizers are not overpowering, the sound is soulful and melodic, and the song-writing focuses on those ubiquitous subjects of love and relationships.
While “Thieves in the Night” draws the listener in with lead singer Alexis Taylor’s distinct vocals and irrepressibly upbeat synthesizer, the subsequent tracks refuse to relinquish the attention of the album’s audience. The sound is incredibly cohesive, and One Life Stand holds together incredibly well.
“Thieves” is followed up by “Hand Me Down Your Love” in an almost seamless transition, and continues the formula of catchy keyboard driven rhythms and poppy drums.
The title track and album’s first single “One Life Stand” is truly a return to basics for the electropop quintet, with synth sounds echoing the heyday of 1980s New Wave pop. Taylor sings about turning a one-night stand into a life-long love affair, and it is this notion of romance, which seems to drive the rest of the album and hold it all together.
Tracks like “Brothers” and “Alley Cats” deal with the everyday relationships between humans in a non-romantic fashion, expanding the theme of One Life Stand to a universal level of accessibility. It is the diversity of relationships within the framework of the album that keep the consistency of the album from becoming dull.
If One Life Stand holds true to Hot Chip’s intentions, this album is definitely equipped for more than just one spin on a turntable.