I haven’t made up my mind about Hot Chip. In a recent interview with a British newspaper Alexis Taylor cited R. Kelly as being a genius. It jarred me, a little like when an earnest white indie band covers a pop song or a hip hop track—the Vines doing “Ms. Jackson” or Flaming Lips doing “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.” It also recalled that interview Brett Anderson gave to the NME at the height of Suede-mania where he said he would love to write a song for Mariah Carey. It felt sneery and a little condescending. I guess it just highlighted how I could never warm to them.

Despite their videos being inventive and kooky (although in light of recent events I think Alexis Taylor may regret dressing up as the Joker for their latest video) and the music press loving them, Hot Chip have never pushed out an ass-shaking groove to match “Over and Over.” And certainly none that could match their supposed influence’s “Ignition (Remix)” for crossover appeal.

Maybe what gets in the way is their geekiness, which feels conceptual rather than genuinely gauche — Taylor’s disaffected vocals which seem too wry and ironic. I just struggle to sense any feeling from Hot Chip. Even Bernard Sumner, who has all the vocal ability of a shoe, managed to emote in his performances and no-one could deny the intensity of “Blue Monday,” despite it being one of if not the most cynical and nihilistic anti-anthems.

“Ready For The Floor,” the lead from the upcoming Made In The Dark, is a perfect case in point. It’s a mid-tempo Nintendo-bleeping, jelly-beat dance song with a mantra like chorus. It sounds a bit like “Boy From School” and has non-committal party lyrics delivered with their trademark lack of expression. Their fans will adore it and their critics will hate it. As for those of us unsure as to the “why?” behind Hot Chip—we’ll be waiting for something more conclusive.

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