Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Safe and squeaky clean. Sometimes to a fault. I'm not mad at any part of this album, but I'm certainly not inspired, moved, or overly impressed. What does frustrate me is the context of this albums addition, and the omission of a whole genres worth of music. In the states, EDM and electro-pop we're absolutely running wild at the time of this albums release. Like, 2012 specifically was a generational year. Yet there's just none of that on here. It was such a distinct sound and period of time, it was so pervasive at least in the states, surely it was around the world too. Sadly I will not remember a song from this project. They're all one homogenized safety blanket. Put it on in a department store and go next 2/5 I'd rather listen to aged, dated, cheesy music from 2012 that had some real intensity to it
Wow that was boring! No way this belongs on this list.
The Good: We get hot chips with dip… we hope! The Bad: The chips are bland… The Ugly: The mold on the dip… Never heard of this band before, probably because I am no big fan of EDM and when this album came out I was more busy with other things… Reading the commentaries, I have to agree that this album might have made a little more impact had it been released 30 years sooner… hence the mold on the dip… what? I have to explain my stupid humor now too? Anyway, never going to listen to this again, though I did have to play the first two songs again to see if, maybe, I was going to change my mind as to what score I would give this album… 2* for not sucking massively
I don't want to say that this album does NOT belong on a list of 1001 albums I had to hear before I die, because what I've discovered as I have passed the 500 album mark is that after a a certain point (my own guess would be about 200), the selection process becomes so random and/or subjective that blindfolding 800 or so monkeys and having them stick pins into a gigantic list of every album ever released is likely to produce results just as valid as what appears on the actual list. If you listen to the tracks on YouTube, there are a couple of pretty interesting videos at least.
What 5 years without new Daft Punk did to a motherfucker
Eat hot chip and lie
hello??
I'm not sure I like electronic rock more than I like normal electronic music. In our increasingly digital world it feels like everything is being made with machines, computers, etc. Am I a cumurdgeon? I suppose.
Nice upbeat sound, and music. Thanks for the introduction.
I find most synth-pop pretty thin but take out the vocals and this could be fucking hold music.
Opener was a really great song that I thought would set the tone. It's clear that these guys don't do ballads really well. The lyrics were kind of distractingly bad, as well. The entire thing is pretty generic following that opener, too. I didn't hate what I was listening to but was very unimpressed.
2.5
Early millennial synth pop.
1 stern
Cool instrumentation hampered by a samey, uninteresting vocal performance that is very much a product of its time. This particular subcategory of the über broad “alternative” genre feels very much not for me. And of course they’re fucking British. I dunno. It’s like trying to be Daft Punk, Passion Pit, Two Door Cinema Club, and The xx all at once. I don’t feel convinced. It doesn’t weave any of those threads particularly well, but I could see the appeal for people who want alt music that sounds sort of like soft house music.
Accidentally had Repeat turned on so it cycled through about 1.5x times. I wasn’t bothered by this, so that’s good. But I also didn’t notice that I’d literally just listened to it so that’s less good.
Dit is echt een sound die alleen maar door upperclass Britse gasten in 2006 gemaakt kan worden. Beetje nikszeggend. Vraag me af waar de keuze voor dit album in deze lijst op gebaseerd is. Niet gebaseerd in ieder geval.
Somehow vermoeiend om naar te luisteren. Zangstem is niet fijn om te horen. Deze band klinkt als een ongeïnspireerde samenkomst van al hun invloeden
Luisterbare popliedjes in een Britse indie-elektronica jas. Niet heel exciting, maar ook zeker niet slecht. Betere vocals hadden misschien wel geholpen. Edit: dit duurt echt een kwartier langer dan het had moeten duren. En dan zijn er ook nog dotan-achtige gang vocals achterop de plaat. -1
The British slant to this entire list is wearing on me. "One of Britain's most beloved electronic bands..." is how the write up begins. I've tried them in the past, just never stuck. The album has a ton of listens on Spotify, with the weakest song still getting over 1.5M listens. It's all pleasant but it all kind of sounds the same. Nothing groundbreaking, no radio hits (in the US at least), VERY average vocals, it sounds a bit dated 15 yrs later (sounds late 90's), decent beats but just nothing special. "Don't Deny Your Heart" and "These Chains" blow. "Look At Where We Are" (18M listens) is nice, mellow, but I'll likely never listen to it again. "Night And Day" was just annoying. "Flutes" is the 'hit' at 29M listens - again, very average, I didn't enjoy the 7 minutes of overkill though. "Now There Is Nothing" is a painfully bad McCartney imitation. I was tired at the end of the final song, it was a struggle to get through. Try Deathcab For Cutie if you want drone vocals with more of a hook and less reliance on keyboard melody's that gets looped until you can't take it anymore. 2 stars and that's generous. I'm glad I don't live in England and am forced to listen to all these average bands who everyone loves but actually suck.
Nope
meh, always been your love was alright
98/1001 First listen. Nothing is catching my ear on this one. Unremarkable. Unmemorable. 4/10
“Look at Where We Are” and “Flute” stand out, but the rest didn’t hit as hard. Disc 2 of the Expanded Edition clicked more for me.
Not my bag
I am done with these types of albums being on this list. These types of bands do not seem to have real musical talent.
Rather baffling
These little wankers have nothing important to say, nothing important to contribute musically, and frankly just wasted 56 minutes of my life. This was kinda just trash.
so this came out in 2012? huh, could have fooled me-sounds like early 80's techno. boring.
eh... I feel like this sounded very generic with not a lot of real hooks or substance. I forgot I was even listening to this in the middle. 2/5
Pass.
It wasn't a bad album, but I can't say much about it, as I have no opinion about this synth pop album. It was kind of background music, simplistic and forgettable. The album cover is really nice.
Definition of meh
they suck
Not for me, dog Flutes and How Do You Do? are all-timers but there's so many skips... how did this make the list?
Motion Sickness ✅✅
no thanks
Warm, lightly playful electronic grooves built from rubbery synth lines, soft-focus keyboard chords, crisp programmed drums, and woven-in, lightly processed vocals that melt into the textures move this synth-pop/electro-pop album like a neon sign flickering in the evening heat—bright and inviting at first glance, but most likely broken and uninviting.
Not sure why this one’s on the list.
I did be my best. I don’t like electronic music
Not really up my alley, but is an easy background listen and is genuinely a pretty smooth sounding album
I laughed when I saw this was my album today. Hot Chip, really? Why is there so much bad electronica on this list? There is nothing new or innovative going on here. I remember thinking Night & Day was okay when it came out, but it hasn't aged well.
Can't tell whether I'm bored or just indifferent to this band. I don't enjoy a fair amount of albums on this list but at least I kind of understand why they are here. I don't understand why this is here.
This has a few very good tracks but A LOT of filler. In particular, the slower songs really drag and add nothing to the album. Somewhere in here there's a snappy, upbeat 35 minute indie/electronica album, but unfortunately the bloat was not cut out. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
Just not my sort of thing. Hard to understand why this has been included in the 1001
*2012. Synth pop/electronica. *Strange, like a combo of house music with alternative. *Too electronic for me, but some cool underlying music if you take out the weird sounds and synth. RATING - 5/10
Unremarkable in every way.
mid
You know when I started this thing I figured I would get some amazing records. I thought I would get some long forgotten gem from the 60s or 70s that some DJ sampled in the 90s. Or perhaps a lost classic country artist with a tragic tale. Sadly, no. They're giving me shit like this and Kanye West and Ryan Adams. I sincerely mean no offense to those artists, but in 100+ years of recorded music I expect more essential listening than something from 12 years ago. These have all been good albums, just not ones that I needed to hear before I die. So, Hot Chip. This is not my thing. I'm sure it's a good album for people who are into this kind of music. I'm not. Not really. I dunno, maybe I am and I just didn't like this album. Bottom line, it's fine. Just not for me.
I only know Hot Chip from their singles This was a bit of a disappointment as it was a lot less playful and a lot more pedestrian than something like over and over or Ready for the Floor
Who are Hot Chip? After that album, I'm not really sure. Properly inoffensive, decently-made, electronica/pop. Didn't really stir any emotion from me. Hadn't noticed the album had looped back, and gone well beyond, the beginning. In Our Heads - more like, Not In My Head. Right?
Not a bad album by any means, I do like Hot Chip - but there is absolutely no way this is a essential album that you MUST hear.
Just indifferent.
Well, that was a bland and boring experience. I wonder why the author chose to include this album in the 1001. It's certainly hard to see why I really needed to listen to it, but since I did, I know enough to limit the number of stars to just two.
the synth going on in track 2 is kinda crazy fun (I really liked motion sickness) I do hear the 2012 energy but the synth makes it sound older. in "look at where we are " i lowkey thought it was Laufey (I really don't know why), but no it was a man. (I do like it though). track 5 sounds like the opening of a charli xcx beat. not really a fan of this one. track 6 is also weird and sexual and I don't like track 7 either. "now there is nothing" is kind of a older 60s (beatles??) melody and I do like it better and it's different from tracks 5-7 and more like the opening tracks. The overly synth-y stuff is not my cup of tea :/ "let me be him" is better fs but I kept wanting to skip in songs and 56 minutes is too long for this type of album. "always been your love" is also another melody I like more because it's less synth heavy and I like the duet. probably rate it like a 6/10 or like 2/5. not bad but probably wouldnt listen to more than the 3 songs I liked...
pet shop boys for the terminally straight
I’d be lying if I said this didn’t have me nostalgic for the early 2010s. However it also reminded me of some bad genre mashing that happened at the time.
FIFA core
Listenable but not my thing.
First two songs seemed mildly interesting but ultimately forgettable. From there things got more memorable, but in the wrong way. Anyone listening to music in the 1980s would recognize how derivative this music is, so I can’t even give credit for inventiveness. This is really mediocre stuff overall. I’ve been able to see why nearly every album I’ve gotten is on this list. This one is a mystery to me.
..
New Order called and would like their whole deal back. Scritti Politti is on line two.
too old-fashioned for my taste, though it came out in 2019 it sounds like pop from 1980s, not in a good way
Oh boy. Another unknown British group from the early 2000’s… what a surprise.
I try to listen to every song on all the albums I listen to but I had to skip multiple songs off of this. This is just boring. Glass Animals and The Knife did it better. 0 reason this should have been included. Only reason I’m giving it 2 stars instead of one is that it’s not offensively bad.
not much for this... listened to it yesterday and already kinda forgot it...
Kann mich schon jetzt gar nicht mehr daran erinnern. Keine Ahnung, war wohl ok.
Listened Before? N The sheer amount of 2000 and later British electronic music on this list is uncalled for. That being said, this one isn't terrible. At least the songs are (mostly) reasonably short and have coherent lyrics. Not sure why it belongs here though. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Don't Deny Your Heart
+production +dreamlike +cool to hear how they make a beat from scratch +a lot do songs are walking the fine line between being too busy and being unique which is impressive -some songs are overproduced -lyrics -repetitive
sad robot music
I’ve heard worse
Kinda reminds me of New Order. Liked some of the songs. I definitely feel like the five star rating system is limiting me here because I like this more than other records I have given a 2 but less than most of my 3s.
Not a band I am familiar with. They gotta sound, but not one that grabs me.
Hot chip sucks.
Left me thinking does the world need another Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. I think probably not. It's not offensive, just a bit bland.
Marge, I’m confused. Is this a good album or a crappy album? It’s an album. That’s enough. 2.5⭐️
Started out new and fresh but got tiresome after a while.
Just another electropop album for background music in restrooms of clubs
/biggest goddamn eyeroll you've ever seen /wanking motion /weary sigh
Mwa mwa some good songs but not my favorite
Tepid fast fast shopping music.
They sound like a Great Value Erasure or Yazoo. I'm not hearing anything new or interesting. Pitchfork: 8.0 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Flutes
Not for me
Middlin electro pop from a band that does not belong on the list. I hope it’s not the last album that I hear before I die.
Cover 6 Electronic? Pop? It sounds very 80s and 90s R&B and pop boy band influenced. Despite they're having four members, it sounds pretty simplistic. Probably could have gotten away with just two members. It's not that bad really. It's like boiled chicken. Or unseasoned... anything. I don't hate it, but why? I guess I just don't care.
Hot Chip: the food = delicious Hot Chip: the band = unsatisfying
Bit repetitive
Cool. More recent UK techno. 2/5
..very poppy- not for me despite the fact I like electronic sounds
Hipster Cafe music
This isn't my thing, and it just doesn't do anything for me.
I thought this was going to be Metronomy, but it was slightly more pop than them, without such catchy tunes. I thought it was the the band that puts more effort into the music videos than the music, but that was OK GO! It wasn't unpleasant, but it just sounded like generic café background music really.
I always thought Hot Chip were a comedy band, no idea where I got that from. This album feels like it was made for gyms and exercise classes. "Let's sweat, let's sweat... come on ladies, keep moving, it's only your fat crying!"
I do not like Hot Chip. I do not like tinny synth. I do not like the vocals. I did not like this style of eighties music and i appreciate bad attempts to revisit it even less. That all said there has been much worse than this on the list, so it would feel harsh to give it 1/5
Meh, just electronic music from the 2010's. Electronic got pretty mellow in the 2010's and became more mainstream and really started adding lyrics. I like the lyrics and I like the mellow. But this doesn't grab me or make me feel it is different, unique or pushing anything. Then you add the length of some of the songs...it just felt like we were repeating over and over this mellow vibe that didn't really enhance songs, just made them drag. Its just kind of there. I have had some way worse 2's but this just doesn't make me interested in this band at all.
I guess it is ok, just not my favorite type of music.
not bad
not to my taste. also, a lot of the songs sounded too similar
There are some fun songs on here but not enough to go back to this album. 4/10
not interesting at all, very flat, fits a very primitive taste, "always been your love" is not that bad.
The vocals didn't work for me.
I'm beginning to feel very dubious of the "experts" who selected these 1001 albums.
It was mostly fine, but that’s about all I’ve got
I didn't hate it, but I don't think I particularly liked it, either. No idea why this is on the list.
I think if this album came out 3 years earlier, it would have been big. Unfortunately, it’s just a worse version of MGMT with everything else bad about indie-electronic pop of the time. Foster the People’s debut album isn’t on this god-awful list but this random-ass, no impact having, generic album is?
Groupe inconnu. Musique d'ambiance pas désagréable, mais peu intéressante. Les morceaux sont longs et répétitifs. J'ai quand même apprécié 'Night and Day' (le riff m'a fait donné envie d'écouter plus attentivement), ce qui évite à cet album la note minimale. Pas de seconde écoute pour moi. =>2/5
Highlight: Flutes In a nutshell: Copy-paste Gotta hand it to Hot Chip for being sonically consistent on here. But it is lacking something that earlier albums like One Life Stand and The Warning had. What’s the word…Magnetism? Rizz? Allure? Overall: 3/10
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Gar nicht so hot dieser Chip.
Electronica isn't really my thing, but this wasn't as bad as some others I've had to listen to for this list
Was bored. High two?
Zu britisch und intensiv
I liked this whole album while walking and running. It surprised me.
Virkelig neget synth
Not really my thing, but not awful.
Nothing special but each song did start out differently. Wasn't the same sound throughout.
Just not a fan of synth-pop. Decently put together but not for me.
Decently listenable. Parts reminded me of what a Club Med might play during a guest pool party/limbo contest. You can dig it with enough rum punch.
This definitely suffered from me listening to it right after megadeath. Seemed pretty boring.
Strong 2012 energy.If I was a 30+ year old dude on a party in the suburbs of London in my hot H&M costume, maybe I’d enjoy it, but not now.
This is a chill album, but it's so inoffensive I couldn't fully get in to it. I felt like the group was afraid to actually do anything interesting and step outside the box here. So the end result is a lot of the same from start to finish
Mid
I’m all good for a Hot Chip in a mix but a whole album is a bit much and longer album length didn’t help. Still a fun listen just won’t be rushing back
it was fine, wasnt great wasnt bad. wont listen again.
Oh boy, it's time for another 2010s album. The entire album has the same manufactured electronic beat, and it often feels like listening to the same song over, and over. It definitely has its fun moments, but at the end of the day, it's a 2010s album. Favorite Track: "Now There Is Nothing".
It's not offensive, or grinding, or jarring, or even bad in anyway. It's just nothingness really. It's like a bland Erasure - and I actually quite like Erasure in small doses. I could imagine this is on a semi-permanent rotation in some hipster coffee-shop in Hoxton or the like. I made it all the way through so it is 2 stars.
I don’t know why, but I tried too hard to like this. But, I’m left with the same ambivalence as I feel whenever I’ve come across them before. I’m mildly entertained for about 10 minutes then quickly lose interest.
I have this issue with Hot Chip where the first song I heard from them is their big hit single, and then I feel like the entire rest of their discography just doesn't really sound like that. Also, it's frustrating to me when I hear dance music for the first time where they used what I think are female vocals and I go to listen to the group and it was just that I was bamboozled and/or sometimes they used female vocal samples for one (1) song and the rest of their music doesn't.
Suenan muy bien, los conocía y es interesante esa música de baile machacona que suena a electrónica, pero es alógica. Me guardo en favoritos "Ends of the Earth" y le doy 2 estrellas porque tampoco es que sea una locura de álbum.
Post-2000s Brit synth-pop—now that’s something I wanted to be excited about. I’ve definitely heard worse, but nothing really grabbed me, and I lost interest halfway through listening.
Didn't like the lead singer's voice. Most of the music felt generic. There were a couple of tracks that hit a good groove.
No. I really struggled with this one. Songs are way too long. Nothing interesting happens. It is like electronica mixed with indie. Modern, over produced trash. I mean, it's not bad, but I just....don't care..... Favourite songs: Flutes, Motion Sickness Least favorite songs: I don't know....it all sounded like the same over produced shit to me... 2/5
Some songs are fine, others a bit too meh. Nothing really grabbed me
I've never quite gelled with Hot Chip's sound, though it contains most of the elements I'd typically be into. Something just doesn't quite work for me. But it was a decent listen at least for the first half.
Elektronische Musik. Klingt alles gleich.
It’s microwave meal music, gives you the calories and claims to be real meal but is actually beige paste. Music that the health and safety police have gotten to and in the 21st century passed as safe with all the sharp edges safely removed. It’s dull, featureless and plain tiresome. Is this the height of music that needs to be heard in 2010s? It’s not bad it’s not good it’s straight down the middle washed out. It does nothing, new, existing or anything. Does it really need to be heard, why? I Accept I'm not a connoisseur of music from this time but is this really the best it had to represent it, What does it offer, what?, bland, unimaginative and middle of the road bedroom pop. 2 Star,
Owl City did it better
It’s ok. Like yesterday an instrumental would be nice
"Look at Where We Are" and "Now There Is Nothing" are solid. I can do without the rest. 2.5/5
Another day, another boring album that according to this list I have to listen to before I die. Pass. Just so much more boring electro-pop that is better suited to backing music in a some expensive club; the kind that I dislike and never go to anymore and didn't like it when I did when I was younger. At least it's not some nails on the chalkboard random punk group that happened to be the shitty starting group of some moderately famous lead man or guitarist. But it's like Sabrina Carpenter: plastic, tastes like cardboard, and fake. Next album please. I think...
Hard to rate this one. Bounces all over the place. Motion Sickness starts it out, it's annoying and repetitive. As are Don't Deny Your Heart, Night And Day, Flutes, and Let Me Be Him. How Do You Do, Now There Is Nothing, Ends Of The Earth, and Always Been Your Love are ok. These Chains is pretty good. And then there's Look At Where We Are. If Hot Chip stopped making electronica and moved to RnB, they're crush it. This was fun and smooth, great song. Overall the album is hard to give a single number to, but with so much to slog through to get to the good parts, I had to go with a 2. Best song: Look At Where We Are
Hummm. Not much original here. Kind of like the Pet Shop Boys? Maybe? Not very interesting.
So there's of course a difference between music you don't necessarily like and music you can appreciate for its influence and progression - but what about an act like this? It's not *bad* in any way, and actually kinda boppy in some moments but for 2012 - isn't this just re-repackaged Pet Shop Boys or even a lighter New Order? Sure it's kind of nice at times, but I didn't really remember anything after I was done other than the music being almost entirely emotionless and completely vapid insipid nothingness to the lyrics. Which all may be the point. I don't know... I don't want to gatekeep and state "oh if it's not influential or entirely original then why is it here" because we'd have a list of about 75 albums but as roughly the 823rd mostly-unknown British album on the list I'd be feeling more generous if these guys were, say, Albanian or Thai or somewhere else not exposed to oh EVERY 80s SYNTH BAND EVER. Ehhh I tried again and made it through about 5 songs and then really got tired of it. If you really really miss or like the 80s (and who doesn't ...) and emo/synthy/pop Benneton turtle neck pastel styles, skinny belts, and reliving The Breakfast Club this is your perfect jam. No judgement at all. 5/10 2 stars.
Was it 1 track for 53 minutes?
Nothing impressive. Not bad but not something I'd chose to listen to again.
Not my thing. A couple of songs by the end did intrigue me more than the others. Still, would not listen again
Pleasant but nothing memorable
Somewhat fun and certainly bouncy, but mostly trifling, despite the alleged ballast of Eastern mysticism.
Combo of the worst parts of 80s synth with early 2000s indie. Absolutely hated the vocals.
This is kind of nice pop, it's fine, but I'm not totally sure what it's for. It's this odd mix of melancholy, slightly monotone vocals with upbeat disco. Relative to the other monotone-vocals bands from that time like The National (it truly was a genre back then, maybe two genres if you distinguish the ironic-monotone from the that's-what-my-voice-sounds-like monotone), it's just not quite brilliant enough to be really noteworthy. And obviously if you actually want to dance you'd never put this on, it's strictly a pantomime of actual dance music. "The Warning" came out when I was in college and I listened to it quite a bit at the time. By 2012 I'd kind of moved on though, so never listened to this. I think there was better stuff made at that time (although this is when it started drying up) and I probably wouldn't put it on again.
There is nothing especially revolutionary on In Our Heads. I've heard Kraftwerk and Human League already so in fact I could have died without having heard Hot Chip.
Ihan on vekkulia musisointia, mutta en toiste lähtisi kuuntelemaan.
Boring insipid Synth-Pop Dance music.
This is #day203 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... I feel nothing when listening to this album. Aside from boredom and irritation, maybe. So, we're back to square one, not understanding how stuff like this makes it to the list... Some valueless, bland bleep-bloop mess. It's criminally long to boot. I'm being generous and giving it a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day204.
Its some cool dance music. It isn't my thing, but it is a nice change of pace. It's upbeat, it's electronic. It would keep people moving at a club. I did a smidge of research on the book, and I am a bit concerned and a bit disappointed that this list is super white, super 65-75 based. I had been giving them credit for a wide variety of music. I will be curious to see where it goes.
Not horrible at all, just a bit boring and safe. I can’t imagine ever wanting to play this again, so it’s a 2.
Boring and bland electronic pop. 2/5
What a horrendously bland album. I can’t believe they’d had 5 albums by 2012. It sounds exactly the same as anything else I’d heard by them.
I expected more based on their Spotify bio.
When I read the Wikipedia entry for this album, I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it........I was right.
really did not feel like I needed to listen to this before I died
More house and dance. Meh.
boring
For the first time in a while I seem to have lost my review. I didn't have a lot written so it's not a big loss. It feels apt that this is from a group called Hot Chip given how much it cools off and gets kinda stale over time. I suppose this one is lost on me in terms of both a majority of its songs as well as its significance & cultural impact. A majority of the wikipedia summary for this thing talks more about the ways it was distributed more than anything. Highlights: Don't Deny Your Heart
Maso
Dancefloor music from 2012.
Wanky
Broke millennial version of the Chemical Brothers
I understand *why* this is on the list - it has that English new wave feeling that the author can't seem to get enough of, but it doesn't belong on any kind of "best of" list anywhere.
I don't think this should be on the list but it isn't incompetent. Not coming back but it could've been worse.
Parts of this felt like Of Montreal. But it got grating very quickly.
If this album was food, it would be vanilla ice cream. Not the fancy homemade one with real Madagascar vanilla, but the 1.5 pound-a-tub supermarket variety. Do I enjoy such ice cream? Well yes, even bad ice cream is good! But it won't win any Michelin stars. In the same vain, this album doesn't sound bad. Very inoffensive electronic-based songs. But if you told be this was AI generated I'd believe it. It's just very bland, I can see no reason to play this record either for a critical listen or as background music. If this was made in the 1960's I could see why it ended up in the list, but in the 2010's? I'll give it a 2*; a 1* would be if it met all of the above but also sounded bad.
More like reheated chips. Fairly unremarkable retreads of 80's synth bands a la New Order, Erasure, Depeche Mode et al, only not quite as good and emptier. Still, it was pleasantly inoffensive music to listen to while weeding the greenhouse. And I discovered where thosev sneaky chickens had been laying their eggs recently. Unfortunately they were well past their use-by date, a lot like Hot Chip.
Something about this feels oddly soulless. There are some nice overlapping instruments, particularly involving string instruments and synths, but it's very artificial. Even the singing feels kind of empty. I'm also not a big fan of the melodies here, which are at once slow-moving and very difficult to catch onto properly. The chords are kind of weird and don't make it easy for the (vocal) melody to be catchy or singable – at least, upon a first listen. Maybe the music on In Our Heads ages like wine upon relistening, but I doubt I'll be giving it that second chance. The music wasn't entirely bad. There were a few musical ideas that caught my attention, particularly in the tracks Motion Sickness, These Chains, and Flutes. (Phoebe Bridgers pulled off the former much more convincingly though.) There are some fun guitar and synths arpeggios in these tracks that are significantly better-sounding with the wacky chord progressions than the singing generally was. The track Night And Day is almost nightclub-esque, although it has a heavy retro/80s vibe that separates it from the more 2000s-esque remainder of the album. 2/5 Key tracks: Flutes, Motion Sickness, Night And Day
First time listening to this. Kind of boring.
Má své okamžiky, jinak hudba k nakupování, jako album, nezáživné
Maybe it's because this album is fairly new compared to most of this list, but it already feels dated. It came out when bands like Alt-J, Foster The People, and Two Door Cinema Club were at their peak, and honestly, I'd rather listen to their music. In Our Heads feels like generic hipster (and I mean the original millennial hipster) electro-pop. I want to be clear. I don't think this album is bad, but there were much better albums in this genre to pick. Best Songs: Flutes, Night And Day, Worst Songs: Look At Where We Are, These Chains
Hot Load of Shit more like
#356. This one is tiresome and a bit difficult to get through. 2/5: no
It was ok, but gave me no reason to listen to it ever again.
Some of the songs have an OK hook, all the songs go on longer than I'd have liked. Overall not for me at all
Repetitive English nonsense, trying to be "cool" and "out-there", but sounding like what a suburban accountant thinks dance music sounds like
This bored me. Definitely not my cup of tea.
I sincerely hope that when they said "eat hot chip and lie" they weren't talking about this one, because it really isn't all that good. Many of the songs on here have interesting concepts they delve into but ultimately fall just short of retaining that interesting nature. Songs like Don't Deny Your Heart with it's very 80s influence totally clash with These Chains' and Night and Day's synth-pop style. Much of this sounds like baby's first synth-pop. Highlights were Don't Deny Your Heart and Flutes
I have heard of this band but had never listened to them until now. I found this to be a relatively bland indietronica album. The light synths and at times delicate vocals made this fade into the background for me. The drums also don’t pack enough of a punch to energize everything else. Favorite track was Flutes.
Insultingly bland
Night and Day sucks.
Я ебал это слушать честно говоря. Выдохся ближе к второй сотне.
Great start- I really enjoyed the metric modulation / rhythmic ambiguity that started track 1, it was a fun way of keeping me on my toes and questioning where the "1" was, and I was hoping for more of it throughout the song but never got it. I feel like I didn't mind the song (and following songs) being on in the background and bopping around, but these tracks really feel like they lack substance. There's just something missing, or they are just short of doing something that really impresses me. I almost want it to be instrumental because when the synths take lead parts my ears start to perk up and listen more intently. Listening to this makes me feel like I'm hearing some watered down LCD Soundsystem. It's really that got early 2010's college synth indie sound that was so prevalent then, but unfortunately this sounds kind of forgettable compared to the bigger acts from that time period. "Flutes" was cool, it's got some fun rhythms in there and doesn't feel like it's in a rush to go somewhere, which I really appreciate from this kind of music. It's the idea of a band saying "yea we have all of this fun bottled up energy that you are going to want and you're going to want to move to, but you're going to have to wait to get it." Man the vocals pull me out of it though. All of the mystery is ripped out of the track by the end. I might like this more if I listen at some other point but right now I am frustrated that it was close to something that I would really like but whenever it had a chance to go in a direction that I didn't want, they took that chance.
p933. 2012. 2 stars. Insipid Brit electro pop. Well done of its kind, but totally unremarkable, and it definitely outstays its welcome. Not essential listening.
A few tracks have that daft punk quality where they repetitive yet catchy. But all together their sound just isn't original to me. If this album came out in the 90s I would be more impressed. Also, every song was WAY too long. Maybe it's a European thing.
This is a combination of mostly dance/electronic tracks you could hear at a party and the music that plays 24/7 at gyms. I liked the few indie-y songs with the switchups more Standout: Now There Is Nothing
it's electronica but it's not kid rock 1.5 stars
Boring
Electronic dance music. Boring. Stand-out: Now There Is Nothing
Not unpleasant, just nondescript. I wouldn't recognise any of this if I ever heard it again.
One of those ones where I can't criticize, but is 100% not for me.
Boring… Is it actually composed tracks? IT sounds more like a DJ-electronic lounge set
I liked a few songs on here. Maybe I'll listen to this again to see if I like it more or less.
More Brit electro pop. This did nothing for me but I guess there’s an audience for it being that there’s so much of it on this list.
Hot Chip's 2012 release "In Our Heads" offers a mixed bag of electro-pop tunes that fail to fully captivate. While the British group's signature blend of danceable beats and quirky synths is present, the album lacks the consistent spark of their earlier work. Standout tracks like "Motion Sickness" and "Flutes" showcase the band's ability to craft catchy, layered electronic compositions. However, much of the album feels formulaic and lacks the innovation fans might expect. The production is polished, but at times, this comes at the expense of the raw energy that made Hot Chip's previous efforts so compelling. Lyrically, the album touches on themes of love and relationships, but often in a way that feels disconnected or overly abstract. While die-hard fans may find moments to appreciate, "In Our Heads" ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression, resulting in a middling entry in Hot Chip's discography.
You can add "alternative dance" to the list of genres I have zero interest in.
i don’t think this album was Bad by any means but i just didn’t really vibe with any of it
boring
It's exactly this kind of bland, middle of the road indietronica that made the 2010's so musically forgettable.
Look At Where We Are These Chains Let Me Be Him Little too much techno feel and wasn’t a fan of the out of key singing here and there. Not too shabby tho. Has some catchy tunes and dancing vibes to it
Not for me. Not my type of thing as it is but found it not very memorable and a bit dull.
I really tried with Hot Chip. Their single and video “I Feel Better” was really fun and stupid (and also not on this album). But I haven’t enjoyed anything else I’ve heard from them. It’s got all the right ingredients but it just doesn’t work for me. To quote Pablo Francisco “I love spaghetti but it’s got shit on it!”
Maybe I'm just not in the mood for it this morning, but I'm not feeling this album. Just background noise, and nothing I would wish on anyone else as an album they "must hear before they die." 2/5
decent but wont seek out again
2.5 stars - meh
not my thing.
This wasn’t bad, wasn’t good. It was just there.
Mischung aus Synth-Pop, Dance und Indie. Aber keine Gute. Gefällt mir gar nicht.
This sort of trendy cool electro indie isn't really my thing. Still enjoyed listening to this though
I haven't heard of this band so I didn't know what to expect, but I kinda expected dance (judging by the cover). I'm not a big fan of dance music, but this has something else It's a fun listen sans dancing, but I tired of it by the end.
# 205 : It was like listening to nothing, I don't love it. I don't hate it, it is ok if kind of dull. Nothing stood out and I wouldn't go back to these guys voluntarily
Melko joutavaa
I took time off from this listening project to have emergency abdominal surgery, and I'm wondering if my exploding gall bladder was surreptitiously helping me postpone listening to this album. It was released in 2012, but it sounds like mid-80s. Voices are nice, instruments and computers are well played, and production is as clean as can be, but it really doesn't do much for me. DON'T DENY YOUR HEART is an okay song (I wonder what it would sound like in another genre); if you found yourself drunk on a crowded dance floor, it'd be a great song. I guess that's what most of the album is designed for, so I can't fault it for fulfilling its destiny. I bet it gets a lot of play at weddings and reunions in the UK. The slow song, LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE, sounds vaguely like a throwaway song by 10cc. I'd rather be listening to 10cc. Overall, it's neither good nor bad, but it's way too long, so I give it ⭐⭐. ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 48 🎧 LPs left to review: 953 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 11 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 16 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 12
Zurück in die 80er, Pet Shop Boys Feeling... aber nur kurz, auf Dauer zu eintönig. Schade.
I was prepared to hate this just based on the genre, but I didn't mind the instrumental part at all. If I'm being fair, a lot of the backing tracks sounded like they could have been popular songs on the radio when this came out and even today - as long as someone else was writing and recording the vocals. That's where they lost me. There were a few songs that sounded like they could be Justin Timberlake or Bruno Mars tracks - but instead of selling them to artists like that who could have done something with them, these guys wrote weird lyrics and sung them poorly.
A bit distracted in the office but didn't grab me.
At times I sorta enjoyed the chill indietronic sound, but probably more of the time I was bored Favorite track?: “Now there is Nothing” I know I would’ve rated this lower 2 years ago Torn between 2 and 2.5
Not really my thing to be honest
They have far better albums than this one, in my opinion.
ehh...2/5
Sounds like it was made in the 80s. That's not a compliment. Also, the singer's voice is annoying. Blah.
Becoming disillusioned with this project. Most of the albums have been crap. There have been several that I would have given negative ratings for if I could have. This particular one isn't horrid but it's not a group that I would listen to again.
Just don’t rate hot chip at all, album isn’t cohesive and their Melodie’s don’t slap
First couple of songs sound experimental Next few George Michael -esque Some beegees and some Beatles influence The George Michael tracks save it
A bit boring but I at least managed to listen through it.
It is nice, but it doens´t fulfill me. Trivial. It sounds nice, but I forget it as soon as I stop listening.
This felt a little too optimistic for my natural pessimistic outlook. Why are you so fucking happy? The tweeness got on my tits. I can't work out what the point is. What's the message? Where are you going with this? Back to bed...
Why does it take 90 seconds in the first track for the singing to begin? Then another 40 second break why, just sing your song and move on. Tbh they do most in most of the songs. Each song they could have save a minimum of 30 seconds Realy didn't like the track flutes. It was just a really boring album, but definitely not the worse album on here. And I like the album art
It didn’t do a lot for me. I found the music interesting but didn’t care for the vocals and they kinda ruined a few songs for me. It wasn’t bad though, just not great.
Oh how I wanted to like this. I’m a fan of several songs off Coming on Strong and keep hearing about how much these guys have grown. I keep trying and its just not for me. The opening track got me excited and I added that to a playlist. Then they lost me and never got me back. Its not bad, but its just not for me. Not sure why. Glad I tried this album (I had a similar reaction the The Warning) but sadly, not my jam(s).
I am pretty unfamiliar with this era of indie rock. At the time I was just "getting into" music; you know that phase where you listen to all the standard critically acclaimed stuff. I don't see this album ever becoming one of those; I found it quite forgettable.
Not for me, 1 song I did get a little down with, the rest I was just waiting to end. Will I listen to again: 0%
Pleasant, nothing profound for me. 2/5
hot chip's in our heads is definitely influenced by the eighties synth trend. unlike many artists who try to be inspired by musicians of past decades and become a cookie cutter copy devoid of creativity, i felt an originality in hot chip's style. however, i couldn't help but find myself extremely bored. sure, they put music together, but at what cost? the beats were good, but the lyrics? no. the instrumentation? no. whatever, at least i crossed this one off my list.
eh.
Load of old tosh
uhh not the biggest fan of dance/electronic music so this was not very fun, to be honest i wouldn't even dance to this. this feels like video game music that is super annoying.
So and so.
I like some earlier Hot Chip, but I found this effort mildly annoying, and question its place on the list. If we're talking albums from 2012, I'd nominate either Tame Impala's "Lonerism" or Death Grips' "The Money Store" to take its place. Hell, I'd even take Grimes' "Visions" over this.
I thought I liked this band. I was following them on Spotify. I did not enjoy this album. If I wanted pure dance, I would listen to Underworld, and if I wanted synthpop I would go with Passion Put, as both are better than this. Something about this just rubs me the wrong way, even though it's a genre and sound I would normally be into. Oh well.
Som moderninho meio chato
Generic sounding 2010 pop. The bits that sound like LCD soundsystem are good but I rather listen to LCD…
Nah, not for me. I like my dance music to be more towards the euphoric trance genre, not this approach. Not giving it a 1 because it's not objectively bad, just I don't like it.
its ok...not blown away..sounds like a number of other bands so not sure why this is a "must" listen. Rating: meh
Dance music - no thanks!!!
Hot Chip offer nice, polite electronic pop music. Maybe too nice. The music sounds dated - reminiscent of 80's synth-pop - and harmless. Not one song sticks out from the rest; each merges with the others to form one continuous stream of excessive synthetic pleasantness.
blech. Brit synth-pop that is all saccharine, no sugar.
Cliche and saccharine songwriting. Somewhat interesting and varied production that occasionally leans too heavily into reheated new wave. Vocal performances are a bit mediocre. Nothing here to really make me interested in checking out any more of their discography.
The music varies from "nothing special" to "rather annoying".
This was okay, but it's not for me. 2.5 stars.
Not a huge fan of this one to be honest.
I don't listen to a lot of electronic music so I'm always glad when this project serves up something in that arena to me. There are some decent tracks on this album and I can appreciate the artistry in what they're doing here. I don't feel compelled to come back to it or explore their other music, though -- just a matter of personal preference, that's all.
So what kinda album. Doesn’t offend
It was okay, too electronic for me.
I'm having a really hard time deciding how much I like or dislike this album. It's not bad, but not great? For that, it gets a rating right in the middle 2.5
I've really enjoyed other Hot Chip music, like some of the tracks on the album "The Warning" but this doesn't do much for me at all. The vast majority of the music and lyrics feel so hollow, this isn't helped with the lyrics being so forward in the mix. Nothing connects with me on this album, even the few tracks I thought were okay. I don't really see how this electronic album stuck out to anyone enough to include it on the list. I don't necessarily hate anything on the album, I just find it boring and unneeded. Standout Tracks: Look At Where We Are, Let Me Be Him
Ow gawd, come on, was soll das sein? Die Beatles mit Elektrogefrickel? Hätte eigentlich was werden können, wurde dann aber nichts, vor allem zu lang!
New one for me. Best tracks: Look at Where We Are, Night and Day, 2.5
Another album that makes you question this list.
ugh I remember these guys. Bland, English wuss-pop. The early 2010s were full of this utter shite. Of COURSE Dimery likes it. How does he just continually have an ear for the lamest musical trends of each era? 2/5.
thirty years late
Thought I would like this more than I did
Not sure why this is on this list. It is not awful. It is just there. Sounds like indie music at points but it isn't fully blown indie music.
Jaunty enough, but the equivalent of listening to an ice cream van drive past your house over and over again.
Bit too hipster for my taste.
I actually liked this more than I thought I would, but that’s not saying a whole lot.
Didn't do much for me to be honest
Some good songs but not really my style. I liked the single "Don't deny your heart" as it is more electro-funky.
Al 2006 sonaven molt frescos i eres un plaer estiuenc de primer ordre. Al 2012, quan 'In Our Heads' va ser publicat, ja havien perdut gran part de la seva màgia. Indietronica solvent, però sense punch diferencial. 'Motion Sickness' continua sent un dels seus millors temes, això sí
Bland, sterile baby food music for soft lads.
Was a fine album, enjoyed ‘let me be him’, furled me through a good a workout. Nothing necessarily wrong with it just fairly uninteresting and didn’t do it for me. 2.5
I never really noticed what a dull year 2012 was for music but this is very strong evidence. Boring as fuck. Fiona Apple's the Idler Wheel was released that year, stick that in. David Byrne and St Vincent Love This Giant, that was a cracker, and she's been completely ignored in this book for whatever reason. At least it wasn't Jake Bugg.
This hasn't aged well and I don't have time for this
I'm not saying there's no room in my heart for electro pop. One of Hot Chip's "Fans also like" in spotify is LCD Soundsystem, who I really enjoy. But this.... not so much.
Seriously irritating.
bleh
I like some of Hot Chip's earlier songs (from The Warning and Made in the Dark), but after two listens of the album, it doesn't really do much for me. The production is quite good, but I don't think the songwriting measures up. The only memorable song to me is Night & Day, which is memorable in the most annoying way! The singer's voice really grates after a while.
Niks an
Ken een ander plaatje van Hot Chip, maar daar waren maar een paar tracks leuk van. Bij deze geldt eigenlijk een beetje hetzelfde.
I didn't want this in my head.
From the band name on down, it's all annoying. But you can (mostly) dance to it. HOT CHIP In Our Heads earns two stars.
Thought it was one long song. An album full of nothingness’s
Ritmo electrónico. No es lo mío
Annoyingly white bread generic. There’s absolutely no reason to replicate shitty 80s music 20 years later.
takes me back to moving back to la and working in a lab where we'd listen to kcrw in the morning and id always dread npr news ending and jason bentley playing his set of total dogwater music. i gave this an honest listen because i dont know id he played anything off this album in particular, so there was nothing traumatizing in this for me. but it all sounded like this. he also played the same vampire weekend song like every day that summer. but i dont think we'll look back on this time and remember this band, feels like a premature call on the list writer's part
Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Dislike - Motion Sickness is ok. How Do You Do? has a good opening groove but I really don't like it once it gets going. I'm only a few tracks in and I really don't think this album is doing anything for me. Each song starts with an element that I don't mind and then manages to twist it into something I don't like. An album with some potential but not enjoyable for me.
Abysmal nothingness. Is this really the best of the 2010s?
Really bad.
not my vibe, kind of annoying 1/5
the first verse of track 2 is the worst moment yet on this sometimes rotten website. can't stop listening to it.
Middling synthpop that no one has to listen to before they die. It's not even on 'overrated' levels of recognizability (a la MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, Kings of Leon's Only by the Night, any Daft Punk/Taylor Swift album, etc). Since this is seemingly *English* pop, I hope my perspective is overly American, and perhaps this is to someone across the pond as Only by the Night was to me - rash-inducing horror. Only then, do I suppose, it merits being on this list.
Sjukt å få to 1'ere på rad...
Clearly this album is triggering some nausea-inducing reflex that goes beyond rational response for me so I'll just note that all I hear is the worst of programmed synth boppy schlock like someone hit the funk preset on a 70's Yamaha home piano and a group of generic church choir members dropped over to add some soulless soul to these insipid lyrics, and just as I'm thinking is this a Christian rock band? the lyric on cue drops "A church is not for praying it's for celebrating the life that bleeds through the pain" and I take a second look at the album cover - stained glass, right?? And all I can hear is vague happy church band make-me-live-again messages in the rest of it, which I realize is totally inaccurate rationally, but too much chocolate over the Easter weekend maybe, and hey, even if it was Christian music what's wrong with that other than in this case all of the above? I'll give it a second listening in a year or two - if time's healed my ears and I'm hearing a 5 I'll make the edit. Barf.
Not a fan
Toed the line of awful