Somewhere since Over and Over made them geek stars, Hot Chip have shed the lovable, goofy edge in favour of a sleeker, slicker aesthetic. Made in the Dark was the first hint that they wanted to be taken seriously, but such a slow-burning LP couldn’t erase the pop hooks that made The Warning such a crossover success. One Life Stand, then, is the final stage of Hot Chip’s re-invention, racking up a stack of dancefloor jams and instant earworms that just might be their best album yet.

Hot Chip have set the energy levels than ever before on One Life Stand, and seem more focused now on being a dance act than an indie band. This shift in focus sees them dabbling in a broader range of dance and electro sounds, with a strong emphasis on vintage synths (vintage in dance terms meaning ‘Giorgio Moroder’).

One Life Stand is a confident and sophisticated title track, with one of the most intractable hooks in recent memory. Playing off a pun, Alexis Taylor’s deadpan croon sidesteps comedy and goes straight for the heartstrings. It’s not often that a dance track has such a sweet chorus, nor is it easy to write a hook that is so immediate and effective.

One Life Stand alone would make this album worth the price, but Hot Chip have spoiled us with an album that doesn’t skimp on the quality. Thieves In The Night is a glorious small-scale house anthem that should be force-fed to David Guetta to prevent him making another song as obnoxious and poorly constructed as When Love Takes Over, while I Feel Better’s synthetic strings add a welcome touch of melodrama.

Fans of Hot Chip’s slower material like One Pure Thought will also find plenty to enjoy, especially in the fraternal intimacy of Brothers, a love letter to brotherhood, in which Joe Goddard celebrates “playing Xbox with my brothers” and other small, powerful moments.

It’s that human touch that makes Hot Chip so appealing. Unlike so many dance acts, who are preoccupied with rhythm and movement to the exclusion of all else, One Life Stand is a soul album that sneaks in under the cover of a dance record: all the better to tug at your heartstrings, my dear.

One Life Stand is out now on EMI.