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Album Review: The Hundred in the Hands – The Hundred in the Hands

The Hundred in the Hands is an electropop duo from Brooklyn. You wouldn’t guess their genre from where they got their name: legend has it that they named themselves after the moniker the American Indian Lakota Nation gave to an American Indian / white man altercation in Wyoming in 1866, during which the natives were victorious and killed 100 white soldiers. A non sequitur to dance music, isn’t it? The duo’s music, however, shows no sign of this conflict, except maybe in the hard-hitting feeling you get listening to this diamond in the rough from Jason Friedman and Eleanore Everdell released this week. This album is in your face and refuses to be reined in. It’s certainly got more heart and is more substantial than LCD Soundsystem’s ‘This is Happening’, which is saying a lot.

‘Last City’ starts the album with gusto. The Ting Tings in their re-emerged form wish they could have written something so catchy. It’s the kind of song I imagine I’ll be pumping my fist to in Philadelphia on Sunday (when I see them live for the first time), the same kind of fist pumping inspired by Friendly Fires’ ‘Jump in the Pool’. Either that or frugging to it without a care in the world. ‘Dressed in Dresden’ is of a similar feeling.

Everdell’s voice is at times disaffected as was accepted in the ‘80s electronic music tradition (think Gary Numan) and at times like the Deheza sisters of School of Seven Bells, otherworldly. But this album has a definite rock kick in it that should satisfy those who but enjoy the ephemeral vibe ala Beach House but aren’t fans of the Baltimore dream pop act, myself included (see ‘This Day is Made’).

Despite what some rock bands think about using repetition, it doesn’t really work in their respective genre all that well. But repetition is dance music’s best friend. Take the shining gem of a track (no pun intended) ‘Gold Blood’ for instance. It’s got killer guitar riffs for one, but the vocals of “hold on, my gold blood” aren’t grating at all. If I wasn’t told the Hundred in the Hands was an ‘electropop act’ I wouldn’t have classed them this way at all. If you’re looking purely at the ‘electropop’ label, look no further than ‘Dead Ending’ and radio hit ‘Pigeons’, ready for the dance floor. Seriously good fun. The ‘80s are back, in a way. And I for one am not complaining.

9/10

The self-titled debut from the Hundred in the Hands is now available from Warp Records.