With two members from Hot Chip, you have an idea of what may be coming on Yesterday Was Lived and Lost, the debut album from electro-pop group, New Build. The three-piece take a softer side to electronic dance music, touching base with that familiar Hot Chip sound – underlying DFA percussion, but lift things up with a stronger pop-sensibility.
Opening track, aptly named Introduction, is a minute-long synth-based crescendo into Medication, a soulful, electro-funk tune rife with harmonies and 80’s energy. This appropriately sets the tone for the rest of the album. Infectious rhythms and lots of synthesizers fill the album, start to finish, and somehow never falter into that realm of excessive cheesiness.
If you like Chromeo, if you like New Order, if you like Holy Ghost, if you like Cut Copy, and if you (obviously) like Hot Chip, I’d get behind this album. It isn’t going to revolutionise dance music in any way, but it is a feel good bit of electro-pop with enough disco in there to get you moving your feet.
Misery Loves Company is an album highlight. With a deep resonating vocal arrangement during the verses contrasted against the harmonies of the chorus, this is a sure fire sing-a-long. Probably the closest to a club tune, you might hear the likes of Alison Wonderland or James Murphy play this in one of their DJ sets, and the room would be electric.
There isn’t a dull moment in this album, every song has a lot of life and energy behind it; even the slower ‘ballad’ Finding Reasons is full of passion. I hope we can get these guys down here for Parklife because this is a great album. I for one will be getting my hands on a hard copy as soon as I can.
