Album Review: Hot Chip - A Bath Full Of Ecstasy

Indie dance-pop stalwarts Hot Chip are back with their lucky seventh long player. Here they've run a steaming hot bubble bath of euphoric dance-pop that has been bath bombed by the influence of '80s electro-pop for added feel-good effect.

As we find ourselves floating in A Bath Full Of Ecstasy, Hot Chip aim to soothe our collective burdens with soft washes of pastel-coloured synths, insistent beats and seemingly innocent love songs. Lyrically, Alexis Taylor has always been unafraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, dealing intimate, soft-in-the-centre mushiness. While there is a certain sentimentality to his lyrics on this album, the songwriting seems stronger than before, beautifully complemented by synth-pop arrangements that teem with some pretty sweet hooks. 

Melody Of Love - a bittersweet celebration of hopelessly falling deep in love - is buoyed by insistent house beats that joyously pound the eardrums. Producers Philippe Zdar and Rodaidh McDonald have applied a lot of spit and polish to make the mix sparkle, but mainly it seems they have ensured that the beats bounce without restraint. The invitation to dance across much of this album is irresistible. The heartbreaking latest single Hungry Child simply bangs. Hot Chip drift toward introspection as the album starts to wind down. Clear Blue Skies feels like a neverending road trip as vocodered vocals contemplate the seemingly infinite horizon ahead.

A Bath Full Of Ecstasy is a delightful way in which to dance yourself clean.