Why Make Sense? | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 May 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2014 | |||
Studio | Club Ralph, London; Angelic, Northamptonshire [1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:50 | |||
Label | Domino | |||
Producer |
| |||
Hot Chip chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Why Make Sense? | ||||
|
Why Make Sense? is the sixth studio album by English electronic music band Hot Chip. It was released in the United Kingdom on 18 May 2015 via Domino and was co-produced by the band and English record producer Mark Ralph. Similar to their previous album, In Our Heads (2012), it was recorded at Ralph's London studio, Club Ralph, but also at Angelic Studios in Northamptonshire. [1] For vinyl and compact disc copies of Why Make Sense?, the album's cover art has 130,000 variations of its design, which comprises a set of parallel lines intersecting with each other (known as a moiré pattern) in front of a coloured background. Three official singles were released from the album: "Huarache Lights", "Need You Now", and "Started Right".
Band member Al Doyle explained in an interview that they considered releasing a double album, but held back so as not to be "indulgent". [3] Joe Goddard added that most of the album's songs were written in three to four days, explaining that the band "try to work really quickly so we don't work the life and soul out of it." [3]
In a press release for the album, Goddard stated: "When we were recording, we were getting closer and closer to the sound we make on stage. That kind of freedom makes a massive difference to a few of the tracks on the album; to how the tracks grow." [4] He also said that "musically we all had a desire to strip things right down, not overload it with parts. It relates back to the idea of actually being a band – maybe just one guitar part and one live drum part rather than multiple layers added. Musically, it was an effort to bring a real directness to our music, the kind you'd get on old RnB records." [4]
The album's title, cover artwork, and track listing were announced on 10 February 2015, alongside the release of the album's first single, "Huarache Lights". [2]
The album's second single, "Need You Now", was released on 1 April 2015 along with a music video uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on the same day. [5] The song also samples vocals from the song "I Need You Now" by Sinnamon. [6]
The album artwork for the CD and vinyl release uses a novel printing process designed by Nick Relph and Matthew Cooper. The sleeve varies from each individual print to one of 501 different colours. The artwork also includes a series of parallel lines, which are placed at differing angles on each individual print. Combined, there are over 130,000 variations for the sleeve. The artwork features a moiré pattern that was inspired by the work of Bridget Riley. [7]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 81/100 [8] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Consequence of Sound | B [10] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [11] |
The Guardian | [12] |
musicOMH | [13] |
NME | 8/10 [14] |
NOW | [15] |
Pitchfork | 7.3/10 [16] |
Q | [17] |
Uncut | [18] |
Why Make Sense? received positive reviews from critics. According to review aggregator website Metacritic, the album has received an average critic score of 81/100 based on 31 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [8] Heather Phares writes on AllMusic that "It's interesting to note that Hot Chip's string of great albums—beginning with Made in the Dark —coincided with their exploration of the joys of long-term relationships. Celebrating monogamy while avoiding monotony applies to how they make music as well: On the surface, Why Make Sense? is another album of wry, kinetic electro-pop from a group that has mastered the style, but it also builds on Hot Chip's roots—and dance music's origins—in ways that sound fresh." [9] Matthew Horton of NME gave the album a score of 8/10, calling it "a record that mostly finds Hot Chip carefree, revelling in the absence of layers of electronic adornment. Stripped back to basics and muttering against the machines, they've never come on so strong." [14] At Paste , Ryan Reed gave the album a rating of 8.5/10 and wrote that the album "revolves around Taylor and Goddard’s usual themes of romantic devotion and friendship. But here, those words are often tinted with modern dread, like the world-weary meditations of the brooding 'Need You Now' ('Caught up in this world / I never dreamed I could belong to a state that don’t see right from wrong') and the title-track’s kraut-punk throb. 'Why make sense when the world around us refuses?' Taylor asks over clattering synths and drums. The universe may be illogical, but Hot Chip has never sounded more purposeful." [19]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Huarache Lights" | 5:29 |
2. | "Love Is the Future" (featuring Posdnuos of De La Soul) | 4:31 |
3. | "Cry for You" | 4:18 |
4. | "Started Right" | 3:44 |
5. | "White Wine and Fried Chicken" | 3:00 |
6. | "Dark Night" | 5:27 |
7. | "Easy to Get" | 5:10 |
8. | "Need You Now" | 4:45 |
9. | "So Much Further to Go" | 3:12 |
10. | "Why Make Sense?" | 5:14 |
Total length: | 44:50 |
The deluxe edition of the album includes an EP titled Separate, containing four additional new songs. [20]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Burning Up" | 4:10 |
2. | "Separate" | 4:24 |
3. | "Move with Me" | 3:48 |
4. | "Re-Harmonize" | 6:24 |
Total length: | 18:46 |
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [21] | 29 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [22] | 72 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [23] | 30 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [24] | 22 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [25] | 57 |
French Albums (SNEP) [26] | 85 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [27] | 38 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [28] | 19 |
Irish Independent Albums (IRMA) [29] | 5 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [30] | 13 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [31] | 73 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [32] | 53 |
UK Albums (OCC) [33] | 13 |
UK Dance Albums (OCC) [34] | 2 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [35] | 2 |
US Billboard 200 [36] | 103 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [37] | 15 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [38] | 14 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [39] | 20 |
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [40] | 3 |
Hot Chip are an English synthpop band formed in London in 2000. The group consists of multi-instrumentalists Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Owen Clarke, and Felix Martin. They are occasionally joined by former member Rob Smoughton for live performances and studio recordings. The group primarily produces music in the synth-pop and alternative dance genres, drawing influences from house and disco.
The Warning is the second studio album by British band Hot Chip. The album was released in the UK on 22 May 2006 by EMI Records and in the United States on 3 June 2006 by Astralwerks. Notable tracks include the UK singles, "Over and Over" and "Boy from School", as well as "(Just Like We) Breakdown", which was featured and remixed on the DFA Records compilation album The DFA Remixes – Chapter One. The album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize.
Made in the Dark is the third studio album by the English indietronica band Hot Chip, released on 4 February 2008 through EMI Records internationally and Astralwerks and DFA Records in the United States. Comprising 13 tracks, a defining feature of the album is the strong presence of romantic ballads. The title ballad was described as "sublime" by one critic, although not all the ballads received universal praise. Alexis Taylor, the main contributor to the lyrics, said he was proud of the album lyrically and felt that feeling of love and happiness, partly the result of his recent marriage, had contributed to the album's romantic tone.
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, released on 26 January 2009 through the Domino Recording Company. In contrast to their speedily-recorded second studio album, You Could Have It So Much Better (2005), the band chose to take some time off before recording a new album. Writing sessions began in early 2007 and recording took place in 2008 at the town hall of Govan, Scotland, and producer Dan Carey's studio in South London.
One Life Stand is the fourth studio album by English electronic music band Hot Chip, released digitally on 1 February 2010. The physical album was released in the United Kingdom on 1 February 2010 by Parlophone and in the United States the following week on 9 February 2010 by Astralwerks. The album's lead single from the album, "One Life Stand", was released on 30 November 2009. Vocalist Alexis Taylor described the album as "the most warm and soulful sounding record we've made" and expressed hope that people would also say it was "a soulful quality that ties [the album] together".
English electronic music band Hot Chip have released eight studio albums, eight extended plays, two mix albums, 29 singles, five promotional singles and 24 music videos.
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two is the eighth and final studio album by American hip hop band Beastie Boys, released on May 3, 2011, through Capitol Records. The project was originally planned to be released in two parts, with Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 originally planned for release in 2009. The release was delayed after band member Adam "MCA" Yauch's cancer diagnosis. After a two-year delay, only one collection of tracks, Part Two, was released and the plan for a two-part album was eventually abandoned after Yauch's death on May 4, 2012.
Recycler is the tenth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in October 1990. It was the last album to utilize the band's synthesizer-driven production style which began on Eliminator, and marked a return to the band's blues roots.
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. 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. A limited-edition 12-inch vinyl of the song was eventually released on 2 April 2012.
No Fixed Address is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback which features a guest appearance from American rapper Flo Rida and was released on November 14, 2014, via Republic Records. The album was preceded by the lead single "Edge of a Revolution", which was released on August 18, 2014. The album marks a notable change in the band sound, combining their usual post-grunge and hard rock sound with elements of dance-pop and electronic. This also is the band's first and most likely only release on Republic Records, after leaving long-time record label Roadrunner Records in 2013, and then leaving Republic for BMG before the release of their ninth album, Feed the Machine, in 2017.
Blurryface is the fourth studio album by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on May 17, 2015, through Fueled by Ramen. Lyrically, the album incorporates themes of mental health, doubt, and religion. It contains the successful singles "Stressed Out" and "Ride", both of which reached the top-five on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Immortalized is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. The album was released on August 21, 2015, by Reprise Records, and is Disturbed's first studio album since Asylum (2010), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in their career.
Sounds Good Feels Good is the second studio album by Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. It was released on 23 October 2015 through the labels Hi or Hey and Capitol Records. In support of the album, the band embarked on the Sounds Live Feels Live World Tour.
Def Leppard is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Def Leppard, released on 30 October 2015. The band's first studio album since 2008's Songs from the Sparkle Lounge and their first on earMUSIC Records, it became their seventh top ten album on the Billboard 200 after debuting at number 10. The first single "Let's Go" was released 15 September 2015, alongside the artwork and track listing.
One More Light is the seventh studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on May 19, 2017, through Warner Bros. Records and Machine Shop. It is the band's first album to have a title track, as they felt that the song "One More Light" was the heart of the album. It is also the last Linkin Park album to be released before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington on July 20, 2017, and subsequent hiatus.
The Now Now is the sixth studio album recorded by the British virtual band Gorillaz, released on 29 June 2018 via Parlophone and Warner Bros. Records. Recording for the album began in late 2017 – according to Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn, it was recorded quickly so the band would have new material to play at future concerts.
Origins is the fourth studio album by the American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released on November 9, 2018 by Kidinakorner, Polydor Records and Interscope Records.
A Bath Full of Ecstasy is the seventh studio album by English synth-pop group Hot Chip. It was released on 21 June 2019, and was co-produced by Hot Chip, Philippe Zdar, and Rodaidh McDonald, marking the first time the group worked with outside producers. The album was preceded by the singles "Hungry Child" and "Melody of Love".
Return of the Dream Canteen is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on October 14, 2022, through Warner Records as a double LP and single CD. Produced by Rick Rubin, it was recorded during the same sessions as the band's previous studio album, Unlimited Love, released earlier in 2022.
This Is Why is the sixth studio album by American rock band Paramore, released on February 10, 2023, through Atlantic Records. It is the band's first album in nearly six years, following After Laughter (2017), as well as their first album to feature the same lineup as its predecessor. Three singles preceded the album: "This Is Why", "The News", and "C'est Comme Ça". The fourth single "Running Out of Time" was released after the album's release.