In Our Heads Explained

In Our Heads
Type:studio
Artist:Hot Chip
Cover:Hot Chip - In Our Heads album cover.png
Recorded:September 2011 – January 2012
Studio:Club Ralph, London
Length:56:54
Label:Domino
Producer:Hot Chip
Prev Title:One Life Stand
Prev Year:2010
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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 producer Mark Ralph's Club Ralph studio in London.[1] The promotional single "Flutes", for which a video debuted on 15 March 2012, was made available as a free download when pre-ordering the album through Domino.[2] A limited-edition 12-inch vinyl of the song was eventually released on 2 April 2012.[3]

"Night & Day" was released as the album's lead single 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

In Our Heads received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 40 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."[11] 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."[13]

Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork described 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."[14] The Independents 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."[15] 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."[16]

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."[17] However, Slant Magazines 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".[18] Thom Gibbs of 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."[19] Simon Butcher of Clash 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 record".[20]

The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[21]

Commercial performance

In Our Heads debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 9,699 copies in its first week.[22]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of In Our Heads.[23]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for In Our Heads
Chart (2012)Peak
position
Australian Dance Albums (ARIA)[24] 2
Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[25] 59
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[26] 203

Year-end charts

Release history

RegionDateEditionLabel
Japan6 June 2012StandardHostess[28]
Netherlands7 June 2012Domino[29]
Australia8 June 2012EMI[30]
Germany[31]
IrelandDomino[32]
France11 June 2012[33]
United Kingdom[34]
Italy12 June 2012[35]
United States[36]
Sweden13 June 2012Playground[37]
Poland26 June 2012EMI[38]
Netherlands15 November 2012ExpandedDomino[39]
Australia16 November 2012EMI[40]
Germany[41]
Sweden21 November 2012Playground[42]
France26 November 2012Domino[43]
United Kingdom[44]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hot Chip-Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard & Mark Ralph: Recording Why Make Sense?. Sound on Sound. June 2015. 28 March 2021. Doyle. Tom. https://archive.today/20210328224335/https://www.soundonsound.com/people/hot-chip. 28 March 2021. live.
  2. Web site: Murray . Robin . Stream: Hot Chip – Flutes . . 15 March 2012 . 14 October 2012.
  3. Web site: Hot Chip – Flutes (Vinyl) . 2 April 2012 . . 21 May 2015.
  4. Web site: Night And Day . . 14 October 2012.
  5. Web site: Pelly . Jenn . Battan . Carrie . Payne . Chris . Phillips . Amy . The Top 45 Releases of Record Store Day 2012 . . 20 April 2012 . 14 October 2012.
  6. Web site: Young . Alex . Check Out: Hot Chip – "Night and Day" . . 17 April 2012 . 14 October 2012.
  7. Web site: How Do You Do . Domino . 14 October 2012.
  8. Web site: Don't Deny Your Heart . Domino . 14 October 2012.
  9. Web site: Reviews for in Our Heads by Hot Chip . . 10 June 2012.
  10. Web site: Phares . Heather . In Our Heads – Hot Chip . . 10 June 2012.
  11. Web site: Petridis . Alexis . Alexis Petridis . Hot Chip: In Our Heads – review . The Guardian. London . 7 June 2012 . 24 May 2015.
  12. Web site: Thomas . Sean . Hot Chip – In Our Heads . . 10 June 2012 . 10 June 2012 . 12 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120612063251/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17060/reviews/4145073 . dead .
  13. Web site: Ezell . Brice . Hot Chip: In Our Heads . . 11 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120720061349/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/159645-hot-chip-in-our-heads/ . 20 July 2012 . 12 June 2012.
  14. Web site: Fitzmaurice . Larry . Hot Chip: In Our Heads . Pitchfork . 11 June 2012 . 14 June 2012.
  15. Web site: Price . Simon . Album: Hot Chip, In Our Heads (Domino) . The Independent. London . 10 June 2012 . 10 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120611221609/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-hot-chip-in-our-heads-domino-7834117.html . 11 June 2012.
  16. Web site: Baber . Andy . Hot Chip – In Our Heads . . June 2012 . 1 September 2017.
  17. Nagy . Evie . In Our Heads . . 12 June 2012 . 14 June 2012 . 17 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120617110026/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/in-our-heads-20120612 . dead .
  18. Web site: Liedel . Kevin . Hot Chip: In Our Heads . . 12 June 2012 . 1 September 2017.
  19. Web site: Gibbs . Thom . Hot Chip – 'In Our Heads' . . 12 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141022103314/http://www.nme.com/reviews/hot-chip--2/13297 . 22 October 2014 . 14 October 2012.
  20. Web site: Butcher . Simon . Hot Chip – In Our Heads . Clash . 11 June 2012 . 12 June 2012.
  21. Book: Dimery . Robert . Lydon . Michael . . 2014 . . 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  22. Web site: Jones . Alan . Official Charts Analysis: Cheryl's Call My Name sells 152k in week one . . 18 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222175207/http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/official-charts-analysis-cheryls-call-my-name-sells-152k-in-week-one/049233 . 22 February 2014 . 1 September 2017.
  23. In Our Heads . liner notes . . . 2012 . WIGCD293.
  24. ARIA Dance – Week Commencing 18th June 2012 . . 1164 . 16 . 18 June 2012 . 24 May 2015 . . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20120615140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20120616-0000/Issue1164.pdf . 15 June 2012.
  25. Web site: Albums : Top 100 . . 13 June 2012 . 21 June 2012 . https://archive.today/20041226005640/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/ALBUMS.html . usurped . 26 December 2004.
  26. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/373394/products/964868/1/ . ja:イン・アワー・ヘッズ ホット・チップ . In Our Heads Hot Chip . ja . . 24 May 2015.
  27. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Dance Albums for 2012 . . 24 December 2021.
  28. Web site: In Our Heads . . 2 September 2017.
  29. Web site: In Our Heads Hot Chip . Dutch . . https://archive.today/20130115050233/http://www.freerecordshop.be/muziek/in-our-heads-hot-chip-5034202029328 . 15 January 2013 . 14 October 2012 . dead .
  30. Web site: S . Sarah . Hear Hot Chip's new album 'In Our Heads' . The in Sound from Way Out . 5 June 2012 . https://archive.today/20130216214430/http://www.theinsoundfromwayout.com/photo/hear-hot-chips-new-album-our-heads . 16 February 2013 . 15 January 2013 . dead .
  31. Web site: In Our Heads (Digipak Edition) . German . Amazon . 10 June 2012.
  32. Web site: Hot Chip – In Our Heads . Tower Records Ireland . 10 June 2012.
  33. Web site: In our heads – Hot Chip . French . . 10 June 2012.
  34. Web site: In Our Heads . Domino . 10 June 2012.
  35. Web site: Hot Chip – In Our Heads . Italian . Internet Bookshop Italia . https://web.archive.org/web/20150902221119/http://www.ibs.it/disco/5034202029328/hot-chip/in-our-heads.html . 2 September 2015 . 14 October 2012.
  36. Web site: In Our Heads . Domino USA . 10 June 2012.
  37. Web site: In Our Heads – Hot Chip . Swedish . CDON.se . 14 October 2012.
  38. Web site: In Our Heads – Hot Chip . Polish . . https://web.archive.org/web/20140218035035/http://www.empik.com/in-our-heads-hot-chip,p1051333583,muzyka-p . 18 February 2014 . 14 October 2012.
  39. Web site: In Our Heads -Deluxe- Hot Chip . Dutch . Free Record Shop . 15 January 2013.
  40. Web site: Max . Hot Chip Announce Special 'In Our Heads' Edition + Headline Tour . The in Sound from Way Out . 18 October 2012 . https://archive.today/20130216225927/http://www.theinsoundfromwayout.com/post/hot-chip-announce-special-our-heads-edition-headline-tour . 16 February 2013 . 15 January 2013 . dead .
  41. Web site: In Our Heads (Expanded Edition 2cd) . German . Amazon . 15 January 2013.
  42. Web site: In Our Heads (Expanded Edition) – Hot Chip . Swedish . CDON.se . 15 January 2013.
  43. Web site: In our heads (Expanded Edition) – Hot Chip . French . Fnac . 15 January 2013.
  44. Web site: In Our Heads (Expanded Edition) . Domino . 14 October 2012.

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