Hot Chip - Made in the Dark

Made in the Dark (2008, EMI) Hot Chip's third studio album. ****

The electro-pop quintet have crafted a master album on their third outing entitled Made in the Dark. The wide range of influences makes it very diverse, and while not all of them are magic, many are. Most notable is the lead single "Ready For the Floor," a disco-inspired dance piece. Alex Taylor's soft falsetto paired with signature 70's-style synths make it sound like something Blondie would have tried. Another key moment is the track right beforehand, the club-beating "Shake a Fist." For a while, the track is fairly minimal, with a solid drumbeat backed by occasional keyboards. It is again Taylor's vocals that give the song life, especially during the chorus of "Out and out and out/Out and out and out/Shake a fist/And let's breathe it in without," in which the beat is impeccable. The only dry moment is on the album's title track, a strange piano ballad. Although the mood that Hot Chip attempted comes through, it can't fit in an album laden with bouncing and crunching electronica. Overall, Made in the Dark is something to be cherished, a sincere moment in electro-pop. (Out at the Pictures, Shake a Fist, Ready For the Floor)