No one expected a band with sparse electronic instrumentation and songs about Kraft dinners and escapades to make it big. With each release, though, Hot Chip has expanded on its formula of quiet pop vocals and catchy dance music.

Hot Chip’s latest release shows off the fact that the group is not afraid of experimentation or heartfelt, intelligent lyrics.

The album is quieter than previous releases, but Hot Chip asserts early that it still knows how to write catchy dance tracks. The album begins softer with “Thieves in the Night,” as space-age synthesizers hold drawn-out chords. Seconds later they cut out, and a bass drum plays solo. From there the track builds into one of the album’s best.

After this song, the album rarely reaches the same euphoria, but the overall quality of the tracks remain top-notch. Hot Chip experiments with new sounds and influences, such as those found on “Slush.” The track’s lead and background vocals sound as though they were lifted directly from a 1950s doo-wop group. But it also shows one of the weaknesses of the album — songs that go on too long and lose their musical value. The song drags with a run time of six and a half minutes. Unfortunately, this song is not the only one that could have been trimmed to make the album more accessible and concise.

Though Hot Chip has matured exponentially since its first release, it still retains the geeky tone of some of its earlier songs. For example, the singer uses playing Xbox as a symbol of his love for his brothers on the track “Brothers.”

Hot Chip continues to mature, pushing dance music beyond heavy beats by adding a complex and inviting layer of depth to the vocals. “One Life Stand” isn’t a record for people looking for a quick pop fix, but it is for those wanting a long-term relationship into smart, disco-influenced electronica.