A few listens in, and it seems that Hot Chip's Made in the Dark is every bit the pop opus that all the live shows, white label sneak peaks, and other assorted tea leaves had suggested. But before you get to the pleasing electro center of this particular Tootsie Pop, you have to wait at least another minute and forty five seconds. The new record's first jam, "Out at the Pictures," indulges in a long creeping wind-up before finally throwing a punch. Its simple synth loop careens downhill, threatening to lose all control as crunchy speed bump beats begin to cluster below. It's only when the gathered momentum is nearly unsustainable that the percussive refrain morphs into something resembling a dance party. Once that switch is flipped though, the groove becomes surprisingly smooth-- almost resembling the chunky pop beats of a Gorillaz single. Alexis Taylor's voice is clear and strong to start as well, before skipping like a record dislodged by the party's group pogo. The return to turbulence serves the song well though, and forceful stomps, squirming guitar tics, and wolfman yelps continue to add needed texture. When it closes by snapping back to conventional crowd pleasing the gloss feels earned, like the pleasure of pulling back onto asphalt from a patch of gravel road.