Britain’s sexiest dance-floor nerd-lingers, Hot Chip, returns this month with fifth studio album, In Our Heads. The glorified electro-Pavement enthusiasts follow up where 2010’s One Life Stand left off, delivering even more obtuse renditions of Devo songs that were never written by Devo, creating an LP that shows off the band’s soulful chops. “Motion Sickness” has the throbbing grit of early Kraftwerk with the dark groove of Violator-era Depeche Mode, while “Always Be Your Love” sounds like a futuristic ballad with Elton John heart and Steely Dan composure. Hot Chip may be the most consistent electro-pop band around.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2012.