Hot Chip have never been an in-your-face band. Successful, yes; but they never embody the raucous, attention grabbing nature of their contemporaries, simply because they don’t have to. They are one of few revolutionary, genre-crossover bands who have managed to stay relevant and interesting seven years after their 2003 debut, ‘Coming on Strong’.  The British 5-piece seem to effortlessly make music for themselves with no real focus for the mainstream.  Lucky for them then, they get there anyway through the sheer brilliance of their music.
Hot Chip’s unique mix of disco beats, acoustic guitars and piano dips into so many different genres that it is impossible to pigeonhole them, and latest offering ‘One Life Stand’ is no exception to that. Released on February 1, the album was preceded by the single of the same name; a track that some critics heralded Song of the Year before 2010 even had the chance to take off.

But did the album live up to expectations?
First track, ‘Thieves in the Night’ doesn’t hesitate to show what Hot Chip are capable of. Embodying all the catchiness of the band’s popular singles, it is the perfect introduction to exactly what we were hoping for – addictive yet unadulterated disco pop.
Hand Me Down Your Love adds strings to Alexis Taylor’s high-pitched croon and a funky beat. “I’ve known for a long time, you were my love life”, Taylor wails. If it wasn’t for the drum machine, this would be the stuff of emo-folk bands like Mumford & Sons and Bon Iver.
‘I Feel Better’ sounds like the sister track to ‘One Life…’. Auto tune comes into play in the verses, sounding more Calvin Harris than Mumford & Sons, but then Taylor’s heart-wrenching vocals (“I only want one night/ Together in our arms”) come in for the chorus and Hot Chip’s brilliance is undeniable.
In context of the album, lead single One Life Stand sounds as glorious here as it does nestled in the charts. The best sort of love song is one you can dance to, and Hot Chip manage to deliver this over and over again on this record.
Brothers and Slush are a pair of digitalised ballads that might be a little hard to stomach for even the most weathered Hot Chip fans. Brothers is a very soppy ode to male friendship and Slush sounds like Alexis Taylor’s answer to Unchained Melody. On Alley Cats, Joe Goddard takes the vocal reign and his low, near-rasp vocal style is the perfect compliment to Taylor’s vocals.

The last few songs on the album seem to shy away from mainstream appeal, devoid of memorable hooks or beats, which probably explains why this album has fallen shy of full marks in other reviews.
The secret to Hot Chip’s success is making records that suit the 5am comedown as much as the dance floor. Their songs combine the adrenaline of piano power ballads and the fervour of house anthems to create a truly unique, unrivalled sound. Hot Chip’s genre-crossing allows them to be dispensable to a whole assortment of tastes, which results in the fans at their gigs rubbing shoulders with folk they wouldn’t normally have anything in common with musically.

Although some of the album tracks can sometimes miss the hit factor, One Life Stand proves Hot Chip to be revolutionary music-makers who’s latest offering is a strong contender for the best album of 2010.