As Hot Chip, the British duo of Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard have drawn from a palate of moony, muted tones the spliced nature of which has drawn numerous comparisons to the Beta Band. Originally released in the UK in 2004, Hot Chip’s full-length debut marries melancholy falsetto and wearied monotone vocals with doughy analogue tones and slight arrangements. Sparse and detached, Coming On Strong is peppered with deadpan, self-aware winks: the duo namecheck Stevie Wonder, Prince, Ween, and Yo La Tengo while aping gangsta-rap conventions in an intentionally awkward style atop an electro R&B pastiche. The DFA, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy's production duo, have already been tapped to helm the next Hot Chip album. In the meantime, Strong should keep listeners busy trying to decipher tracks so littered with pregnant pauses it often sounds as if they’d been thrown together mere minutes before the record button was pressed. Occasionally, the result is charming. But most of Hot Chip’s insular nods would benefit from a bit more oomph.
Hot Chip | Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston | March 13 | 617.734.4502
