Hot Chip: “Let Me Be Him”

Cannon-fired electronic bubbles fill the room. Chanted background whispers keep them afloat. Deep lead vocals circulate the bubbles throughout the space. Percussion tries to pop them. The chorus succeeds.

Never to fear; the sensational process is recreated in more rapid succession. Followed by the biggest bubble buildup yet. As the song fades without any attempt to clean up the floating mess by way of a return to the heightened reprise, we’re left to wait below for the sticky downfall of each slowly cascading note. The entire experience takes nearly eight minutes. The wonderfully lengthy track is the penultimate on Hot Chip’s latest album, In Our Heads.

Titled “Let Me Be Him,” the relaxing experience is accompanied by the sound of birds. What they think of the bubbles isn’t clear, but they do sound quite content as the song comes to a close. Less mid-flight hazards to avoid? Or could the bubble imagery stem from the London group’s label as electro-poppers? That’s a stretch. Why this scene plays itself out upon each of my listens is a question best suited for a therapist. Neither a couch missing an armrest, nor psychoanalysis is required to enjoy this gem off the group’s most unique album to date.

In Our Heads, Hot Chip’s fifth studio release, was built on the fun being had in the personal lives of the band members. Roots planted in the individual successes of each musician took hold in the fertile soil of joyous times and brought on the change for the electronic quintet. Unlike dance floor anthems “And I Was a Boy From School” and “Ready for the Floor,” club lights, disco balls, and lasers are noticeably dimmed on the new record. A spotlight in the ensuing darkness highlights the care free, dreamy mental state of the group from track to track, shining brightest upon “Let Me Be Him.” If happiness and bliss lead to music like this, charge up the bubble cannon! I brought my goggles.