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Chromeo: Business Casual reviewed by Umphrey’s McGee’s Ryan Stasik

Atlantic

Just as bread needs butter, every dance party needs Chromeo. As with the electro-funk duo’s two previous records—2004’s She’s in Control and 2007’s Fancy Footwork, Business Casual stays true to the formula of poppy synth lines, slick vocoder work and catchy hooks that make the ‘80s sound fresher and revitalized. The ascending/descending funky synth chord progression of “Night by Night” blends with crafty vocals and vocoder call-and-response for perfect movie montage accompaniment. The simplicity and ambience of “Jai Claque LaPorte,” a dreamy ballad that has Dave 1 singing in French—he’s pursuing his PhD in French literature—allows the listener to escape from the album’s onslaught of fast-paced keytar funk odysseys. Dave 1’s vocals also shine on the track “Grow Up” as he channels his inner Daryl Hall and Billy Joel. The band even pushes the seven-minute mark on its funky dance number “You Make It Rough,” taking us on a journey through time when neon and spandex ruled the world and feathered hair was almost as cool as Patrick Swayze. Business Casual proves that Chromeo still has the hot legs to keep climbing the stairs of success.