Joe Goddard has always felt like the member of Hot Chip who really has his finger on the dance music pulse, and in his third solo album he demonstrates that once again. Goddard is quietly building up an impressive arsenal of songs, and on ‘Electric Lines’ he hits a rich vein of form. With no restrictions on tempo or genre, each song has a great dollop of Goddard’s soul in it, regardless of who sings the vocals. It helps that the guests, chosen for their personal connections as well as their musical ones, fit the music hand-in-glove. Jess Mills brings breathy tones to ‘Music Is The Answer’ and ‘Ordinary Madness’, while Alexis Taylor’s vocals on the title track are right up there with the best Hot Chip work. The jewel in the crown, though, is ‘Home’, a production Jamie XX would be proud of, both yearning and uplifting at the same time with its fusion of deep house and disco. Daniel Wilson’s vocal is irresistible. Goddard’s versatility shows in the tougher ‘Lasers’, with its acid bass line, or the soft-centred ‘Human Heart’. His sensibilities as a DJ come in too, knowing exactly when to drop the kick drum in a song like ‘Children’. All this comes together as his best solo album yet, a record that holds promises of a warm summer to come. Which is what we all want, right?!
Ben Hogwood
5 out of 5
JOE GODDARD – ELECTRIC LINES – GRECO-ROMAN / DOMINO
