The Chap

London, England’s the Chap are an odd cast of misfits who channel and push their uninhibited sides in a bid to innovate. The best parallel would be Sparks’ Mael brothers, who never shied away from an idea no matter how silly or far-reaching, which is a fine way of describing the Chap’s third album. The follow-up to 2005’s very excellent Ham, Mega Breakfast continues their tradition of weird time signatures, a stream-of-consciousness lyrical approach and not-of-this-Earth melodies. However, the foursome also have a desire building inside the camp to combine modern R&B with their atypical pop. Holding Timbaland’s intergalactic beats as a point of reference, the Chap become almost avant-garde in their execution, making Mega Breakfast an oddity that will only pay off for the patient listener in search of an audacious attempt to deconstruct and evolve pop music’s traditions. Or more simply, those looking for a Sparks album aligned with some snippets of Hot Chip’s programmed weirdness.