CD Review: One Life Stand by Hot Chip
Sabrina Paparella
Issue date: 2/9/10 Section: Entertainment
Peppy and cheerful, Hot Chip starts their alternative dance record "One Life Stand" with the track "Thieves in the Night."
It is a catchy tune that starts off with a simple pounding drum beat before evolving into a synthesized extravaganza. Lead singer Alexis Taylor's vocals are sweet and airy and combine well with the spacey atmosphere of the song.
Piano and acoustic percussion start off the track "Hand Me Down Your Love" which is a nice compliment to the album as it proves that it isn't simply made up exclusively of synthesizers. The track eventually includes violin as well to add to its more acoustic sound.
However the dance beat is still present, backing simple vocals consisting mainly of the line "hand me down your love."
The album's title track, its first single, is made up of curious oddities in terms of sound. Disconnected, fragmentary synthesized sounds in the background add to the track's mysterious tone.
The track comes out of its minor sound during the chorus when harmonized vocals add a more hopeful tone to the track. Despite this song's more enigmatic tone in comparison with the rest of the album, it is still ultimately a feel good dance song.
"Slush" is a ballad with a gospel overtone.The track starts with what sounds like vocal warm-ups on a piano. For the chorus of the song, two voices mix, the soft soprano tone and resonant bass vocals are sung in unison and complement each other favorably.
The song has a shift in mood towards the end in which the track becomes slower and darker, ending without resolving itself and going back to its happier previous disposition.
The album ends with "Take It In," in which chorus and verse sound completely different. Vocals are multi-layered and uplifting, giving the album a positive, feel good end.
3.5/5
It is a catchy tune that starts off with a simple pounding drum beat before evolving into a synthesized extravaganza. Lead singer Alexis Taylor's vocals are sweet and airy and combine well with the spacey atmosphere of the song.
Piano and acoustic percussion start off the track "Hand Me Down Your Love" which is a nice compliment to the album as it proves that it isn't simply made up exclusively of synthesizers. The track eventually includes violin as well to add to its more acoustic sound.
However the dance beat is still present, backing simple vocals consisting mainly of the line "hand me down your love."
The album's title track, its first single, is made up of curious oddities in terms of sound. Disconnected, fragmentary synthesized sounds in the background add to the track's mysterious tone.
The track comes out of its minor sound during the chorus when harmonized vocals add a more hopeful tone to the track. Despite this song's more enigmatic tone in comparison with the rest of the album, it is still ultimately a feel good dance song.
"Slush" is a ballad with a gospel overtone.The track starts with what sounds like vocal warm-ups on a piano. For the chorus of the song, two voices mix, the soft soprano tone and resonant bass vocals are sung in unison and complement each other favorably.
The song has a shift in mood towards the end in which the track becomes slower and darker, ending without resolving itself and going back to its happier previous disposition.
The album ends with "Take It In," in which chorus and verse sound completely different. Vocals are multi-layered and uplifting, giving the album a positive, feel good end.
3.5/5
Be the first to comment on this story