First Impressions: Chromeo, “Business Casual”

Chromeo
Business Casual
Atlantic Records
Release Date: September 14, 2010

Track Listing:

1. Hot Mess
2. I’m Not Contagious
3. Night by Night
4. Don’t Turn The Lights On
5. You Make it Rough
6. When the Night Falls
7. Don’t Walk Away
8. J’ai claque la porte
9. The Right Type
10. Grow Up

First Impressions:

Business Casual is Canadian electro-dance duo Chromeo’s third studio album, set to be released September 14 on Atlantic Records.

The album follows suit with previous Chromeo releases and continues where 2007’s Fancy Footwork left off – providing another round of dance-heavy tunes perfect for getting any crowd moving.

Chromeo’s sound is very reminiscent of ‘80s pop acts such as Hall & Oates, Rick James and even Michael Jackson at times. Business Casual has that same synth-heavy ‘80s dance feel, but also brings in some '70s era disco-esque beats and the occasional electric guitar solo.

The entire album is extremely upbeat and provides non-stop, catchy dance tunes throughout its entire 40 minutes.

The electronic beats on “I’m Not Contagious” and “You Make it Rough” sound a bit like British electronic band Hot Chip at times.

The band also occasionally uses voice disguisers on Business Casual, another element that harkens back to '80s pop music.

“When the Night Falls" features vocals by Beyonce’s little sister, Solange Knowles.

Key Tracks:

“Night by Night,” “Don’t Turn the Lights On,” “The Right Type” and “Grow Up”

Predictions:

After the amount of success the duo found with Fancy Footwork, it seems Chromeo has even more confidence to do its thing with the release of Business Casual. If you haven’t heard Chromeo before, it’s not too late to start; Business Casual will introduce you to the band’s sound and isn’t too different from its previous work.