Hot Chip - Why Make Sense Review .... A Highlight?

Why Make Sense? - Hot Chip

Six albums into their career and Hot Chip present us with the chaotic and mesmerising 'Why Make Sense?' A fast-paced mix of disco, funk, electro-pop and RnB, the album is a sure sign that the band are just getting better with age.

Single 'Huarache Lights' kicks off the album and it's everything we've come to expect from Hot Chip: catchy and strangely familiar. It's a strong album opener, with hints of Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories'. It paves the way for the rest of the album, starting off loud and fast-paced, with more reflective and melancholy moments scattered throughout.

'Love Is The Future' moves into a slightly more RnB feel, with De La Soul's Posdnuos featuring on vocals. The band embraces their romantic side here, something that has always featured strongly throughout their albums. It may be fairly laid back, but it's a positive, uplifting track, and a real highlight of the album. 'Started Right' brings some great disco-influenced funk, whereas the oddly named 'White Wine and Fried Chicken' slows things considerably; a ballad in the middle of a frantic album. It's a beautiful pit stop, however, sounding Broken Bells-inspired as the band reflects on the changes found in a long-term relationship.


The second half brings more disco and funk, a high point being 'Need You Now', sampling vocals from RnB group Sinnamon. This half unfortunately isn't quite as memorable as the first, however album-closer 'Why Make Sense?' ends with a purposeful, driven crescendo. You can tell that the band enjoyed making this album purely from this final track alone. They have matured and lost any self-consciousness that may have appeared on earlier offerings. This care-free attitude has done the band wonders, making 'Why Make Sense?' a memorable, eclectic piece of work that will remain a highlight of Hot Chip's career.