What this critic says: "One Life Stand is really the tale of two albums: the blisteringly fast-paced first four songs plus the final track versus the sluggish, filler-esque latter half. No other album this year, however, opens as strongly through it's first four tracks as One Life Stand, and "Take It In" may just be the greatest track to close out an album in recent memory."
Rolling Stone: "The Chipsters lace their songs with references to Tammy Wynette and Willie Nelson; they're old-school suckers for love, and they always give their heart-hopeful anthems just the right undercurrent of ache.
Pitchfork: "Oddly, this is arguably their best record yet. Whether you'll agree will depend on what you want from Hot Chip and what you want from an album. One Life Stand is their most consistent and most complete record, but it's missing an A-list single on par with 'Boy From School,' 'Over and Over,' or 'Ready for the Floor.' It's also missing dance songs in the mode of the latter two, focusing instead on Hot Chip at their most lush and romantic."
NME: "If the tone of disappointment seems over-dramatic it's only because we're so convinced of what Hot Chip are capable of. One Life Stand does have some of the best songs of the year on it. But, again, waiting for Hot Chip to make that classic album is a bit like waiting for an alcoholic parent to arrive at your birthday party. There's a kind of unconditional love that'll keep you hoping every time one comes around, but there may be a point where you have to accept that it's just never going to happen."
One Life Stand is out today on Astralwerks.
