Keeping their hot streak of spotting quality artists when they hear them, the good folks at DFA welcomed to their already diverse and talented roster
Hot Chip. The "Over and Over" teaser single featured the band in rocking fashion, complete with DFA signature production and a chorus courtesy of
Alexis Taylor that sounds hauntingly similar to something
Paul McCartney would write had he been paying attention to the music of the youth in his own backyard. A definite departure and a step in the right direction over 2005's inconsistent full-length
Coming on Strong,
Hot Chip's creative maturity is immediately evident in the energetic opening. "Careful," which is laced with punchy, crisp hi hats and snare drums, then gives way to the dramatic "And I Was a Boy from School." They've gone beyond the quirky electro-pop into something much more focused and pop friendly (especially with the band's tight vocal harmonies). The title track has production that wouldn't be out of place on
I Am Robot and Proud's last few records, or
Postal Service outtakes. But like these artists,
Hot Chip focuses more on song arrangements and structure rather than technology and programming showmanship. It sums up the core of what made
The Warning so accessible and enjoyable right from the onset: it's like listening to early
New Order records for the first time, waiting for the next one with a little bit of excited anticipation to see what's going to happen next with every new song. ~ Rob Theakston