Freakout/Release

ペット・ショップ・ボーイズやデペッシュ・モードといった偉大なるアーティストらと肩を並べるエレクトロ・ポップの最高峰、ホット・チップ最新作完成!

ダンサブルなサウンドと、一度聴いたら病みつきになるキャッチーなメロディで人気を博すエレクトロ・ポップ・バンド、ホット・チップが8枚目となるスタジオ・アルバム『Freakout/Release』をリリース。
本作は、メンバーのアル・ドイルがパンデミック前と最初の一年の間にイースト・ロンドンに作った新しいスタジオ【Relax & Enjoy】にて制作・レコーディングされた。
そこでのセッションは、生き生きとしたバンド・サウンドの確立に不可欠であり、2019年の前作『A Bath Full Of Ecstasy』のツアー以降、初めてバンドが集結し、一から制作に取り掛かるのに最適の環境だった。
歌詞の面では『Freakout/Release』は、これまでの作品よりもダークな感情を表現しており、私的なものから政治的なものまで、動かしがたい苦難の中でも人々が生き残る方法を描いている。
18年間の活動期間を通して、ホット・チップは、ペット・ショップ・ボーイズやデペッシュ・モードといった偉大なるアーティストらと肩を並べ、ポップとダンスミュージックの架け橋として、聴く者の体を揺らし、心に響くインパクトのある数多くの作品を世に送り出してきた。
常に革新的かつ共鳴的なサウンドを追い求めてきた彼らの輝かしいキャリアの中で、新たな到達点となる名作がここに誕生した。

As Hot Chip started the third decade of their career, their skill at balancing and blending thoughtful lyrics and kinetic productions was so fine-tuned that it could apply to just about any situation. The sweeping, rave-inspired anthems of A Bath Full of Ecstasy were perfect for festivals, but their soothing bliss also anticipated the comfort needed during the COVID-19 global pandemic. By that time, however, Hot Chip were already on to their next project, building their London studio Relax & Enjoy and christening the space by recording their eighth album. The feeling of moving forward is palpable on Freakout/Release, the groups most animated music since Why Make Sense? Like that album, Freakout shows off Hot Chips knack for crate-digging: Built on a sample of Universal Togetherness Bands propulsive "More Than Enough," "Down" is prime Hot Chip, with verses that ratchet up the tension, choruses that burst wide open, and ricocheting rhythms and textures aplenty. The move from Ecstasys psychedelic washes to crisper, more articulated production feels true to the bands roots and lets them draw on wide-ranging influences, particularly on "Freakout/Release" itself. The vocoders chanting the titular phrase nod to Kraftwerk, Soulwax contributes a production assist, and the heavy breakdown towards the end of the song reveals the influence of the White Stripes "Seven Nation Army," but it all sounds unmistakably like Hot Chip -- as does the way Joe Goddard, Alexis Taylor, and company temper uncertain feelings with unshakeable hooks on "Guilty." As Freakout/Releases title implies, the band digs into the moments when, for better or worse, things reach a breaking point. True to form, they do so with nuance and wit. "Hard to Be Funky" delivers real talk about a relationship using a music geeks lexicon of love ("Cant you change your tune for me?" "You sound like a broken record") while the bassline hints that its not all that difficult for them to bring the funk; on "Broken," babbling synths and backing vocals evoke a communication breakdown as Taylor eloquently expresses how words fail him. Hot Chips brand of moving forward means looking inward, but as on A Bath Full of Ecstasy, they keep the momentum going as they bare their souls. Crises present opportunities for growing closer on the standout "Time," a striding, house-inflected reminder to seize the moment, and for starting over on the politically minded Cadence Weapon collaboration "The Evil That Men Do" and the epic closing track "Out of My Depth," which rivals LCD Soundsystem in its ecstatic realizations. Touching on Hot Chip s classic themes and sounds as much as it does, Freakout/Release isnt an entirely clean slate, but it does offer some fresh perspectives on their music along with one of their strongest batches of songs in some time. ~ Heather Phares

賑やかなグルーヴを備えたディスコ調の"Down"で幕を開ける、およそ3年ぶりのニュー・アルバム。これまでの作品よりもダークな感情を表現したそうで、ソウルワックスが関与した騒々しい表題曲やケイデンス・ウェポンがラップする"The Evil That Men Do"の重苦しさなどもありつつ、基本は美メロの"Eleanor"をはじめとする持ち前のシンセ・ポップと活きのいいバンド感でダンサブルに楽しませてくれる。曲の粒も揃った快作だ。
bounce (C)大原かおり