Second album of the week, week 6: Hot Chip - The Warning

Tracklist
1. Careful (3:28)
2. And I Was A Boy From School (5:19)
3. Colours (5:28)
4. Over And Over (5:47)
5. (Just Like We) Breakdown (4:12)
6. Tchaparian (3:20)
7. Look After Me (4:49)
8. The Warning (4:51)
9. Arrest Yourself (2:31)
10. So Glad To See You (4:05)
11. No Fit State (5:38)
12. Unlisted bonus track: Won't Wash (2:35)

I suppose Hot Chip agreed with me that it was a bit rashed to dismiss the band and their debut album as cheeky, laidback wanna-be groovers. It seemed to piss them off more than it pissed me off. It probably was good, though. Because a title like The Warning couldn't mean anything other than a warning: a warning about revenge! And that's exactly what they got. It was with this album, that became one of the most popular in 2006, that Hot Chip got their definite breakthrough. With The Warning they take another step forward in their sound and many has agreed that it was a step in the right direction. Even though I was one of the few (?) who liked their debut album I still think that another Coming On Strong was not necessary.

I think the cover art is great, because it gives us clues to the sound. We can see lots of colourful foam rubber-looking building blocks where the thinner ones fit into chinks in the bigger ones. This tells us that Hot Chip still carries their inner childs and playfulness in the music. But they have gone out of the obstinate cheekiness and silliness stage and grown into sweeter, cuter, curious beings discovering a creativity which they can use these colourful blocks to build useful things with. The result is a handful of frail electropop tunes with the typical Hot Chip crisp instrumentation. The funk, soul and R'n'B has been slightly put aside in favour for electronically based pop songwriting.

The soft-grooving And I Was A Boy From School has a good melody and a short, simple and funky dancepop guitar line repeating all the way through the song. Colours has an even more memorable melody, simple but oh so effective and cute. The song begins dreamily as if drifting through the clouds. But soon it develops into the sweetest kindergarten dancepop you're likely to hear, complete with tweeting birds in the background. (Just Like We) Breakdown has 80's smelling synths. Look After Me and So Glad To See You is two other sweet songs.

But if you turn the CD case around you can see the song titles in different colours on a black background. There is still a darker, or at least not so sweet, side of Hot Chip. The lead single Over And Over became one of the most hyped songs of the year, with ALL right. Something this rhythmic and danceable and rocking was unheard of. Handclaps, organ-sounding synths, a distorted electro guitar line, extremely and awkwardly catchy melodies, a mass of delicate percussion and a tdf (to die for) guitar solo about three and a half minutes into the song makes it into an instant classic. The lyrics are famous too. Hot Chip hadn't forgotten the criticism they had got for being too "laidback" on their debut album, so they added the lines saying: "Laidback? We'll give you laidback!". The chorus is brilliant melody and lyrics writing:

"Over and over and over and over and over. Like a monkey with a miniature cymbal. The joy of repetition really is in you.
Under and under and under and under and under. A spell of repetition really is on you. And when you feel this way I really am with you."

There's also a clever and fun wordplay:

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G
S-E-X-I-N-G
C-A-S-I-O
P-O-K-E
Y-O-U
M-E
I"

Furthermore, the title track might sound cute and warm but the lyrics are intimidating:

"Hot Chip will break your legs. Snap off your hands. Hot Chip will put you down. Under the ground."

On Arrest Yourself the group sings in a whining, frustrated fashion: "Arrest yourself!". No Fit State is about being in no fit state and in no fit shape. Quite depressing about the evil things inside you. Then the album ends with the mystical, minimalistic, unlisted track Won't Wash.

The Warning was definitely a step in the right direction for Hot Chip. Catchier, poppier and more danceable they were ready to conquer the world. But I don't see why so many wish to see this as a dance album? The only song worth really DANCING to is Over And Over. Instead it's an album full of electropop songs worth listening to over and over. Perhaps it's the fact that I am the biggest all-around nerd of all but I find Hot Chip extremely addicting and appealing. Perhaps they just made one of the best records of 2006.

Hot Chip - (Just Like We) Breakdown (ysi)