Made in the Dark features the best four track opening sequence of the year bar none. From the moment that the forceful, rusty groove of "Out at the Pictures" slams into life, through "Shake a Fist" and its feral menace and playful self-sidetracking onwards, they sound unstoppable, alive with energy and a peerless sense of adventure.
Then it's "Ready for the Floor" which remains one of the best hit singles of the year, building on their ingenious template of hiding bruised soul emoting within playful party music and serving either purpose just as gracefully. "Bendable Poseable" is just straightforwardly huge fun, showcasing Joe Goddard's hard edged vocals by setting them against Alexis Taylor's coo and through a semi rap whose 'tick tick tick... time delay' is laugh out loud funny.
There are even a few more songs throughout that hit the same kind of peaks, with the absurd humour and backwards warping of "Wrestlers" a particular favourite. Though to be honest I would probably love it even more if they chopped off the last three songs and Hot Chip haven't yet found a way to express themselves as brilliantly when they concentrate on their softer side, Made in the Dark still feels like another step on the road to an album that does from start to finish.
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