Building something new for Hot Chip

For fans of Hot Chip eagerly awaiting their next album (or fans who were disappointed by their last, the highly stylized One Life Stand), this new album from spin off project New Build, Yesterday Was Lived and Lost, supplies faithful fans with a more than adequate dance funk fix.

Comprised of Hot Chip members Alex Doyle and Felix Martin (lead singers Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard are noticeably absent), New Build does what Hot Chip does best… but better. The result is something of a mix between classic Hot Chip and Fischerspooner. Usually confined to back up vocals for the likes of Hot Chip and LCD Soundsytem, Doyle shines on Yesterday, supplying vocals reminiscent of ’80s era David Bowie (see “Misery Loves Company”) that succeed on both their funk inspired songs as well as their rave ready dance beats.

Unlike One Life Stand, New Build’s album does not have a cohesive theme or style that dominates – instead it floats between synth, funk, dance and pop. It is this disjointed sound that gives the album life and doesn’t feel like something manufactured in the studio. For example, “Introduction,” is about a minute of cascading electronica that immediately fades out to the funky, Peter Gabriel inspired “Medication.”

From there, the album vacillates between the two styles. For the dance inclined, “Do You Not Feel Loved” is the stand out track. This song perfectly builds tension intoto a rave frenzy. Other notable songs include “Behind the Shutter,” “Schism of the Mind,” and “Mercy.”

Normally, unless we’re talking about Jack White, spin off projects tend to sound like imitations of the more popular band but with the distinct feeling that there is a missing element. New Build successfully incorporate what the members already do in Hot Chip, but expand the range of musical style into something fully their own.