As
Hot Chip
started the third decade of their career, their skill at balancing and blending thoughtful lyrics and kinetic productions was so fine-tuned that it could apply to just about any situation. The sweeping, rave-inspired anthems of
A Bath Full of Ecstasy
were perfect for festivals, but their soothing bliss also anticipated the comfort needed during the COVID-19 global pandemic. By that time, however,
were already on to their next project, building their London studio Relax & Enjoy and christening the space by recording their eighth album. The feeling of moving forward is palpable on
Freakout/Release
, the group's most animated music since
Why Make Sense?
Like that album,
Freakout
shows off
's knack for crate-digging: Built on a sample of
Universal Togetherness Band
's propulsive "More Than Enough," "Down" is prime
, with verses that ratchet up the tension, choruses that burst wide open, and ricocheting rhythms and textures aplenty. The move from
Ecstasy
's psychedelic washes to crisper, more articulated production feels true to the band's roots and lets them draw on wide-ranging influences, particularly on "Freakout/Release" itself. The vocoders chanting the titular phrase nod to
Kraftwerk
,
Soulwax
contributes a production assist, and the heavy breakdown towards the end of the song reveals the influence of the
White Stripes
' "Seven Nation Army," but it all sounds unmistakably like
-- as does the way
Joe Goddard
Alexis Taylor
, and company temper uncertain feelings with unshakeable hooks on "Guilty." As
's title implies, the band digs into the moments when, for better or worse, things reach a breaking point. True to form, they do so with nuance and wit. "Hard to Be Funky" delivers real talk about a relationship using a music geek's lexicon of love ("Can't you change your tune for me?" "You sound like a broken record") while the bassline hints that it's not all that difficult for them to bring the funk; on "Broken," babbling synths and backing vocals evoke a communication breakdown as
Taylor
eloquently expresses how words fail him.
's brand of moving forward means looking inward, but as on
, they keep the momentum going as they bare their souls. Crises present opportunities for growing closer on the standout "Time," a striding, house-inflected reminder to seize the moment, and for starting over on the politically minded
Cadence Weapon
collaboration "The Evil That Men Do" and the epic closing track "Out of My Depth," which rivals
LCD Soundsystem
in its ecstatic realizations. Touching on
's classic themes and sounds as much as it does,
isn't an entirely clean slate, but it does offer some fresh perspectives on their music along with one of their strongest batches of songs in some time. ~ Heather Phares