Hot Chip add a personal touch -- and lots of personality -- to all of their projects, and their Late Night Tales mix is no exception. The main attraction for fans will probably be the four previously unreleased songs included here, which softly ground the collection with mellowed-out takes on the band's strengths. "Nothing's Changed" and "None of These Things" are thoughtful reflections on togetherness filled with the bittersweet warmth and wry wordplay that make
Hot Chip's songwriting so relatable, while the
Joe Goddard-sung "Worlds Within Worlds" is a meditative, sparkling standout. The way they turn
the Velvet Underground's "Candy Says" into a wispy synth pop lament reflects the depth and breadth of their musical knowledge in a slightly different way than most of their work, something that's true of this mix as a whole. On their first mix album in over a decade,
Hot Chip focus on tracks from the 2010s instead of digging for vintage cuts, a choice that adds a welcome freshness to the set. They also emphasize selections from female and non-binary artists that make for some of the collection's most striking moments. These include
Fever Ray's euphoric "To the Moon and Back" and
Planningtorock's flirtatious but uncompromising manifesto of self-acceptance "Much to Touch," as well as the surreal electro-pop of
Charlotte Adigery's "1,618" and
Beatrice Dillon's taut fusion of experimental techno and jazz on "Workaround Two." Within its artfully calibrated ebb and flow of propulsive cuts and restful ones, the mix circles through contemplative, danceable, and sensual moods;
Pale Blue's "Have You Passed Through This Night" and
Suzanne Kraft's "Femme Cosmic" capture all of those feelings at once.
Hot Chip also combine an admirably wide range of sounds into the album's flow, spanning the suave breeziness of Mike Salta's "Hey Moloko" to the experimental piece "The Long Miles" by
Alexis Taylor's
About Group. A closing reading of
James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake by
Taylor's father Neil ends the mix on a whimsical, soothing note, reaffirming how it feels like a handmade gift for fans. By turns cosmic and cozy,
Late Night Tales: Hot Chip is a special addition to the series. ~ Heather Phares