In Our Heads

In Our Heads
Studio album by Hot Chip
Released 6 June 2012 (2012-06-06)
Recorded September 2011 – January 2012
Studio Club Ralph
(London, England)
Genre
Length 56:54
Label Domino
Producer Hot Chip
Hot Chip chronology
One Life Stand
(2010)		 In Our Heads
(2012)		 Why Make Sense?
(2015)
Singles from In Our Heads
  1. "Night & Day"
    Released: 4 June 2012
  2. "How Do You Do?"
    Released: 10 September 2012
  3. "Don't Deny Your Heart"
    Released: 26 November 2012

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 record producer Mark Ralph's own Club Ralph studio in London. The album's first taster "Flutes", for which a video debuted on 15 March 2012, was made available as a free download when pre-ordering the album through Domino.[1][2] A limited-edition 12-inch vinyl of the song was eventually released on 2 April 2012.[3]

"Night & Day" was released as the lead single from the album on 4 June 2012.[4] 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.[5][6] "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.[7][8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Clash5/10[11]
Drowned in Sound8/10[12]
The Guardian[13]
The Independent[14]
musicOMH[15]
Pitchfork Media8.0/10[16]
PopMatters9/10[17]
Rolling Stone[18]
Slant Magazine[19]

In Our Heads has received acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 40 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[9] 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".[10] 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."[13] 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."[12] 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."[17]

Pitchfork Media's Larry Fitzmaurice regarded 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."[16] 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."[14] BBC Music's Jen Long described In Our Heads as "a record for all occasions, an album that balances sentiment and soul with an ever-evolving talent for constructing infectious pop hooks. It's dance music with feelings".[20] 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."[15]

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."[18] 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".[19] Thom Gibbs of the 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."[21] Simon Butcher of Clash magazine 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".[11]

The album is featured in the 2013 edition of the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[22]

Commercial performance

In Our Heads debuted at number fourteen on the UK Albums Chart, selling 9,699 copies in its first week.[23]

Track listing

All tracks 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

Personnel

Credits adapted from In Our Heads album liner notes.[26]

  • 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

Release history

Region Date Label Edition
Japan[24] 6 June 2012 Hostess Entertainment Standard
Netherlands[53] 7 June 2012 Domino
Australia[54] 8 June 2012 EMI
Germany[55] Domino, GoodToGo
Ireland[56] Domino
France[57] 11 June 2012
United Kingdom[1]
Italy[58] 12 June 2012
United States[59]
Sweden[60] 13 June 2012 Playground Music
Poland[61] 26 June 2012 EMI
Netherlands[62] 15 November 2012 Domino Expanded
Australia[63] 16 November 2012 EMI
Germany[64] Domino, GoodToGo
Sweden[65] 21 November 2012 Playground Music
France[66] 26 November 2012 Domino
United Kingdom[25]

References

  1. 1 2 "In Our Heads". Domino. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  2. ↑ Murray, Robin (15 March 2012). "Stream: Hot Chip – Flutes". Clash. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Hot Chip – Flutes (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Night And Day". Domino. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  5. ↑ Pelly, Jenn; Battan, Carrie; Payne, Chris; Phillips, Amy (20 April 2012). "The Top 45 Releases of Record Store Day 2012". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  6. ↑ Young, Alex (17 April 2012). "Check Out: Hot Chip – "Night and Day"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "How Do You Do". Domino. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  8. ↑ "Don't Deny Your Heart". Domino. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  9. 1 2 "In Our Heads – Hot Chip". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  10. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "In Our Heads – Hot Chip". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  11. 1 2 Butcher, Simon (11 June 2012). "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". Clash. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  12. 1 2 Thomas, Sean (10 June 2012). "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  13. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (7 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  14. 1 2 Price, Simon (10 June 2012). "Album: Hot Chip, In Our Heads (Domino)". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  15. 1 2 Baber, Andy. "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". musicOMH. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  16. 1 2 Fitzmaurice, Larry (11 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  17. 1 2 Ezell, Brice (11 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". PopMatters. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  18. 1 2 Nagy, Evie (12 June 2012). "In Our Heads". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  19. 1 2 Liedel, Kevin (12 June 2012). "Hot Chip: In Our Heads". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  20. ↑ Long, Jen (7 June 2012). "Review of Hot Chip – In Our Heads". BBC Music. BBC Online. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  21. ↑ Gibbs, Thom (12 June 2012). "Hot Chip – 'In Our Heads'". NME. Time Inc. UK. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  22. ↑ http://www.last.fm/user/Overture1383/journal/2014/04/14/61pwgq_1001_albums_you_must_hear_before_you_die_(1955-2013)
  23. ↑ Jones, Alan (18 June 2012). "Official Charts Analysis: Cheryl's Call My Name sells 152k in week one". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  24. 1 2 "In Our Heads". HMV Japan. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  25. 1 2 "In Our Heads (Expanded Edition)". Domino. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  26. ↑ In Our Heads (CD liner notes). Hot Chip. Domino. 2012. WIGCD293.
  27. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  28. ↑ "ARIA Dance – Week Commencing 18th June 2012" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Pandora Archive. p. 16. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  29. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  30. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  31. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  32. ↑ "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. 13 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 June 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  33. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  34. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  35. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in French). lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  36. ↑ "Hot Chip | Longplay-Chartverfolgung" (in German). musicline.de. PHONONET. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  37. ↑ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 14 June 2012". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  38. ↑ "Top 10 Independent Artist Albums, Week Ending 14 June 2012". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  39. ↑ イン・アワー・ヘッズ | ホット・チップ [In Our Heads | Hot Chip] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  40. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 17–23 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  41. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  42. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  43. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  44. ↑ "2012 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  45. ↑ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. 17–23 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  46. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. 17–23 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  47. ↑ "Hot Chip – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  48. ↑ "Hot Chip – Chart history: Alternative Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  49. ↑ "Hot Chip – Chart history: Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  50. ↑ "Hot Chip – Chart history: Independent Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  51. ↑ "Hot Chip – Chart history: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  52. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Dance Albums 2012". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  53. ↑ "In Our Heads | Hot Chip" (in Dutch). Free Record Shop. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  54. ↑ S, Sarah (5 June 2012). "Hear Hot Chip's new album 'In Our Heads'". The In Sound from Way Out. EMI Australia. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  55. ↑ "In Our Heads (Digipak Edition)" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  56. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads". Tower Records Ireland. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  57. ↑ "In our heads : Hot Chip" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  58. ↑ "Hot Chip – In Our Heads" (in Italian). Internet Bookshop Italia. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  59. ↑ "In Our Heads". Domino USA. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  60. ↑ "In Our Heads – Hot Chip" (in Swedish). CDON.se. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  61. ↑ "In Our Heads – Hot Chip" (in Polish). Empik. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  62. ↑ "In Our Heads -Deluxe- | Hot Chip" (in Dutch). Free Record Shop. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  63. ↑ Max (18 October 2012). "Hot Chip Announce Special 'In Our Heads' Edition + Headline Tour". The In Sound from Way Out. EMI Australia. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  64. ↑ "In Our Heads (Expanded Edition 2cd)" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  65. ↑ "In Our Heads (Expanded Edition) – Hot Chip" (in Swedish). CDON.se. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  66. ↑ "In our heads (Expanded Edition) : Hot Chip" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
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