Canadian duo Chromeo brings us more foot-tappin, dancing beats with the release of their third album Business Casual.
There seems to be a pattern for the album releases from these two Montreal-based musicians. Dave-1 (Dave Macklovitch) and P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) made their debut in 2004 with She’s In Control and gained popularity with the hit “Needy Girl”. Three years later, in 2007, they released their sophomore effort Fancy Footwork, gathering an even stronger following from hits “Bonafied Lovin”, “Fancy Footwork”, and “Tenderoni”. After which, they blew up and were performing in festivals all over the U.S. and world from Coachella to Glastonbury.
Now with their third album, another three years later, and already with two hits pre-released (“Night by Night” and “Don’t Turn The Lights On”) it looks like Chromeo is well on their way to establishing themselves as more than just a one or two hit group, more than just a phase. Business Casual continues to deliver their electro-funk sound with 80s pop influence, namely and most recognizably from Hall & Oates. “Night by Night” is an all around strong track with its voice-synthesized chorus and dance-inspiring tune, while “Don’t Turn The Lights On” is catchy yet a bit more slowed down, making Dave-1’s vocals all the more sexy.
Fun fact: the thoroughly upbeat and fun “When The Night Falls” features a vocal cameo in the chorus by Solange Knowles (yes, Beyonce’s sister) and it’s not bad at all! It brings in a breath of fresh air to the album and lends itself to the fun, disco-pop side. For me the real surprise and treat is the quiet and sweet track “J’ai Claqué La Porte” which is sung entirely in French by Dave-1 (translation: I have slammed the door). Since the duo is from Canada, with both of French background, and Dave-1 even earning a Ph.D in French Literature from Columbia, the track just makes sense.
All in all, Business Casual brings Chromeo to a more mature level, while continuing to deliver their sexed-up dance tracks with a little more sophistication mixed in. The album takes us literally from “Hot Mess” to “Grow Up”, proving that Dave-1 and P-Thugg are carving out their niche with the underlying 80s element to their funky electro mix. Keep this album handy as it’ll be sure to inspire some fancy footwork on those casual Fridays.
By: Chelsea Olson
Check out the "Night by Night" video
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