In Our Heads
In Our Heads | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 6 June 2012 | |||
Recorded | September 2011 – January 2012 | |||
Studio | Club Ralph, London[1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 56:54 | |||
Label | Domino | |||
Producer | Hot Chip | |||
Hot Chip chronology | ||||
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Singles from In Our Heads | ||||
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In Our Heads is the fifth studio album by English electronic music band Hot Chip, released on 6 June 2012. It is the band's first album to be released by Domino. It was recorded in a span of five months at English producer Mark Ralph's Club Ralph studio in London.[1] The promotional single "Flutes", for which a video debuted on 15 March 2012, was made available as a free download when pre-ordering the album through Domino.[2][3] A limited-edition 12-inch vinyl of the song was eventually released on 2 April 2012.[4]
"Night & Day" was released as the album's lead single on 4 June 2012.[5] Prior to that, the Daphni mix of the song was released as a limited-edition 12-inch vinyl on Record Store Day on 21 April 2012.[6][7] "How Do You Do?" and "Don't Deny Your Heart" were released as the album's second and third singles on 10 September and 26 November 2012, respectively.[8][9]
Critical reception
[edit]Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10[10] |
Metacritic | 79/100[11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The A.V. Club | B−[13] |
The Guardian | |
The Independent | |
Mojo | |
NME | 6/10[17] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10[18] |
Q | |
Rolling Stone | |
Spin | 8/10[21] |
In Our Heads received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 40 reviews.[11] Heather Phares of AllMusic viewed In Our Heads as one of Hot Chip's "most confident, joyous, and danceable albums yet", as well as the band's "most direct album yet, delivering their quirks and grooves with bigger, broader strokes that don't feel dumbed down".[12] The Guardian journalist Alexis Petridis opined, "No matter where the music on In Our Heads ventures [...] it never feels forced. There's a similar subtlety in the songwriting, which is deeply idiosyncratic without smashing you over the head with its quirkiness."[14] Sean Thomas of Drowned in Sound stated that In Our Heads is "arguably [the band's] consistent record to date", adding that "[t]he over riding result is that Hot Chip now seem infinitely more comfortable and competent in their skins."[22] In a review for PopMatters, Brice Ezell commented that the album "could be the best thing we've heard from [Hot Chip]", concluding that "In Our Heads is proof that Hot Chip are succeeding on their consistently impressive musical journey, and as far as I can see there's still much to be learned from these songwriters."[23]
Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork described In Our Heads as Hot Chip's "most playful and colorful record yet, an album-length manifestation of that 'sounds of the studio' game that cut straight through the middle of 'Shake a Fist'." He continued, "The songwriting is as strong and intricate than on 2006's classic The Warning, even if it takes a few listens for the finer points to sink in."[18] The Independent's Simon Price dubbed the album "their most emotional release yet and also their most philosophical—with the complex, seven-minute 'Flutes' and the cascading arpeggios of 'Let Me Be Him' among the finest things Hot Chip have ever achieved musically."[15] Andy Baber of musicOMH referred to it as "the best album start-to-finish from Hot Chip, one that continues to show their deft range—from infectious disco hits to soulful ballads. It's an impressive return from the quirky five-piece, topping their nearly brilliant fourth album in both scale and ambition."[24]
Evie Nagy of Rolling Stone wrote, "There's unguarded joy in the British quintet's mix of synthed-up grooves and pop songfulness on tracks like 'Don't Deny Your Heart'. Their communal vocals are always warm and nuanced, with leader Alexis Taylor merging Davy Jones' innocence with the mirror-ball yearning of Erasure's Andy Bell."[20] However, Slant Magazine's Kevin Liedel felt that the album "feels like a cut-and-paste job, with whole parts either lifted from previous Hot Chip tracks [...] or blatant counterfeits of their '80s-era influences", while stating that "[t]he only reliable human standby amid the parade of dreary automation is Alexis Taylor's voice, which remains as pristine and angelic as ever".[25] Thom Gibbs of NME expressed, "From start to finish, it has an educated and intense eye on the dancefloor, and it sounds fantastic", but concluded by saying, "Lively and upbeat, but naggingly sterile. Tasteful and perfectly executed, but workmanlike."[17] Simon Butcher of Clash dismissed In Our Heads as "an '80s-inspired album lacking in pace", citing tracks like "Motion Sickness", "Night & Day" and "Flutes" as "glimmers of liveliness on an otherwise decedent [sic] record".[26]
The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[27]
Commercial performance
[edit]In Our Heads debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 9,699 copies in its first week.[28]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Hot Chip
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Motion Sickness" | 5:21 |
2. | "How Do You Do?" | 4:45 |
3. | "Don't Deny Your Heart" | 4:31 |
4. | "Look at Where We Are" | 3:59 |
5. | "These Chains" | 4:16 |
6. | "Night & Day" | 4:31 |
7. | "Flutes" | 7:05 |
8. | "Now There Is Nothing" | 4:00 |
9. | "Ends of the Earth" | 5:41 |
10. | "Let Me Be Him" | 7:41 |
11. | "Always Been Your Love" | 5:04 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Doctor" | 4:01 |
13. | "Jelly Babies" | 5:23 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Jelly Babies" | 5:21 |
2. | "Doctor" | 4:01 |
3. | "Look at Where We Are" (Major Lazer vs. Junior Blender Digital Drums Remix) | 4:02 |
4. | "Night & Day" (Daphni Mix) | 7:38 |
5. | "Flutes" (A JD Twitch Optimo Remix) | 8:06 |
6. | "Night & Day" (demo) | 4:41 |
7. | "Now There Is Nothing" (demo) | 3:38 |
8. | "Babies" (demo) | 3:45 |
9. | "How Do You Do?" (demo) | 3:45 |
10. | "Flutes" (demo) | 6:32 |
11. | "Night & Day" (Moretime Remix) | 7:19 |
12. | "Let Me Be Him" (Joe's Dub) | 8:01 |
Total length: | 61:28 |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the liner notes of In Our Heads.[31]
- Hot Chip – mixing, performers, production
- Lizzi Bougatsos – backing vocals (track 11)
- Terry Edwards – saxophone (track 1)
- Geese – strings (tracks 8, 11)
- Edie Goddard – voice sample (track 5)
- Charles Hayward – drums (track 1)
- Adem Ilhan – guitar (track 7)
- Oliver Lowe – marimba (tracks 7, 8); vibraphone (track 11)
- Mike Marsh – mastering
- Mark Ralph – additional production, engineering (all tracks); mixing (tracks 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11)
- Nick Relph – design
- Sarah-Jane Skeete – backing vocals (track 6)
- Rob Smoughton – drums (tracks 4, 8); Simmons pads (track 7); guitar (track 10)
- Steel Harmony – steelpans (track 3)
- Karl Sunderland – handclaps (track 11)
- Leo Taylor – drums (tracks 2, 3, 6)
- Oliver Wright – mixing (tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 10)
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Edition | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 6 June 2012 | Standard | Hostess | [29] |
Netherlands | 7 June 2012 | Domino | [58] | |
Australia | 8 June 2012 | EMI | [59] | |
Germany |
|
[60] | ||
Ireland | Domino | [61] | ||
France | 11 June 2012 | [62] | ||
United Kingdom | [2] | |||
Italy | 12 June 2012 | [63] | ||
United States | [64] | |||
Sweden | 13 June 2012 | Playground | [65] | |
Poland | 26 June 2012 | EMI | [66] | |
Netherlands | 15 November 2012 | Expanded | Domino | [67] |
Australia | 16 November 2012 | EMI | [68] | |
Germany |
|
[69] | ||
Sweden | 21 November 2012 | Playground | [70] | |
France | 26 November 2012 | Domino | [71] | |
United Kingdom | [30] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Doyle, Tom (June 2015). "Hot Chip-Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard & Mark Ralph: Recording Why Make Sense?". Sound on Sound. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ a b "In Our Heads". Domino. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ Murray, Robin (15 March 2012). "Stream: Hot Chip – Flutes". Clash. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ "Hot Chip – Flutes (Vinyl)". Discogs. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ "Night And Day". Domino. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ Pelly, Jenn; Battan, Carrie; Payne, Chris; Phillips, Amy (20 April 2012). "The Top 45 Releases of Record Store Day 2012". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ Young, Alex (17 April 2012). "Check Out: Hot Chip – "Night and Day"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ "How Do You Do". Domino. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ "Don't Deny Your Heart". Domino. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ "In Our Heads by Hot Chip reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Reviews for in Our Heads by Hot Chip". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather. "In Our Heads – Hot Chip". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ Nguyen, Tuyet (12 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (7 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads – review". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
- ^ a b Price, Simon (10 June 2012). "Album: Hot Chip, In Our Heads (Domino)". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". Mojo (224): 82. July 2012.
- ^ a b Gibbs, Thom (12 June 2012). "Hot Chip – 'In Our Heads'". NME. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ a b Fitzmaurice, Larry (11 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". Q (312): 111. July 2012.
- ^ a b Nagy, Evie (12 June 2012). "In Our Heads". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ Patel, Puja (12 June 2012). "Hot Chip, 'In Our Heads' (Domino)". Spin. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ Thomas, Sean (10 June 2012). "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ Ezell, Brice (11 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ^ Baber, Andy (June 2012). "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". musicOMH. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Liedel, Kevin (12 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Butcher, Simon (11 June 2012). "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". Clash. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ^ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (2014). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
- ^ Jones, Alan (18 June 2012). "Official Charts Analysis: Cheryl's Call My Name sells 152k in week one". Music Week. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ a b "In Our Heads". HMV Japan. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- ^ a b "In Our Heads (Expanded Edition)". Domino. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ In Our Heads (liner notes). Hot Chip. Domino. 2012. WIGCD293.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Australiancharts.com – Hot Chip – In Our Heads". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ^ "ARIA Dance – Week Commencing 18th June 2012" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. 1164. 18 June 2012. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. 13 June 2012. Archived from the original on 26 December 2004. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
{{cite web}}
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