Coming On Strong
Encyclopedia
Coming on Strong is the debut studio album
by English electronic
band Hot Chip
. It was released in the United Kingdom on 24 May 2004 by Moshi Moshi Records
and in the United States and Canada on 29 November 2005 by Astralwerks
.
, which assigns a normalised
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 67, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Sean Fennessey of Pitchfork Media
referred to the album as "a successful but safe entrée to the British electro-soul outfit" and said that the album had "kitschy yet deeply affecting lyrics." Rob Theakston of Allmusic described the sound of the album as "quirky electro-pop", whilst Ron Hart wrote for Billboard
that the "utilization of American hip-hop
scenarios in the context of the English slang is exactly what makes Coming On Strong such a unique listen."
US and Canadian bonus tracks
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by English electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
. It was released in the United Kingdom on 24 May 2004 by Moshi Moshi Records
Moshi moshi records
Moshi Moshi Records is a small London-based record label that has released music by bands such as The Rakes, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, Hot Club De Paris, Kate Nash, Junkboy, Architecture in Helsinki, Tilly and the Wall, Slow Club, Yeti, and Au Revoir Simone...
and in the United States and Canada on 29 November 2005 by Astralwerks
Astralwerks
Astralwerks is a New York-based record label that releases primarily electronic music. It is owned by Virgin Records/EMI and distributed by Caroline Distribution in the United States....
.
Critical reception
Coming on Strong received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalised
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 67, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Sean Fennessey of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
referred to the album as "a successful but safe entrée to the British electro-soul outfit" and said that the album had "kitschy yet deeply affecting lyrics." Rob Theakston of Allmusic described the sound of the album as "quirky electro-pop", whilst Ron Hart wrote for Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
that the "utilization of American hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
scenarios in the context of the English slang is exactly what makes Coming On Strong such a unique listen."
Track listing
All songs written by Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard.- "Take Care" – 4:06
- "The Beach Party" – 4:01
- "Keep Fallin'" – 4:48
- "Playboy" – 5:33
- "Crap Kraft Dinner" – 6:34
- "Down with Prince" – 3:17
- "Bad Luck" – 4:03
- "You Ride, We Ride, In My Ride" – 5:03
- "Shining Escalade" – 5:12
- "Baby Said" – 4:56
- "One One One" – 3:34
US and Canadian bonus tracks
- "A-B-C" – 4:34
- "Hittin Skittles" – 4:31
- "From Drummer to Driver – 4:24
Personnel
- Owen Clarke – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, additional noises, illustration - Al Doyle – guitar, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Joe Goddard – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, synthesizer, percussion, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Felix Martin – drum machineDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
, additional noises - Alexis Taylor – vocals, synthesizer, guitar, percussion, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, producer, engineer - Frank Arkwright – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Scott Bennett – kalimbaThumb pianoThe thumb piano is an African musical instrument, a type of plucked idiophone common throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.-Description:Each note of a kalimba, mbira, etc. is a separate idiophone, and in orchestral terms, the instrument as a whole belongs in the bar percussion family...
(track 10) - Emma Smith – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
(track 5) - Darren Wall – designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...