Chromeo: White Women
Download, CD, Vinyl
Out now
White Women marks the return of Canada's favourite electro-funk duo (granted, there might not be that many), with their fourth long-player.
In the four years since since the critically, but not so commercially, successful Business Casual, Chromeo have stuck with a familar sound. Synthesizers, drum machines, pianos and saxophones, are all present and correct.
Dave-1 and P-Thugg (not their real names...) have added extra helpings of funk and pop compared to previous efforts, no bad thing in our opinion, with Daft Punk's Random Access Memories having helped make chart-friendly, disco-tinged dance tracks ever more popular.
David and Patrick (real names) once again focus their lyrical attention largely on the female species – two pairs of women's legs adorned the cover of their second album, Fancy Footwork – but it's thankfully a little more playful than the average, borderline misogynistic chart track.
"Over Your Shoulder" addresses self-confidence and appearance issues, with lines such as "See your problems of self-esteem/ Could be self-fulfilling prophecies/ So probably your best policy is to talk to me."
White Women also plays hosts to a number of collaborations. Chazwick Bradley Bundick, perhaps better known as Toro y Moi, appears on the upbeat Come Alive.
Solange Knowles adds some delicate vocals to Lost on the Way Home and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend fame has his own interlude track – sadly one of the album's weakest tracks.
Overall however, White Women is a postitive return for Chromeo. Is it their best album to date? Quite possibly.
