Pryor Stroud: With “HandClap”, Fitz and the Tantrums announce that they have completely moved beyond the brass-drenched retro-soul of 2010’s Pickin’ Up the Pieces. More of a proudly garish radio-pop anthem à la contemporary Fall Out Boy than a Stax throwback, it revels in its own neon-coated campiness, and Michael Fitzpatrick and company seem to have no other objective than to get your feet moving. It’s formulaic, frenetic, and always about to burst at the seams, but it also delivers the same heart-pumping physiological thrill-ride that we expect from the best pop tracks; for that, we can’t fault it. [6/10]
Chris Ingalls: A breezy pop single guaranteed to pack a dance floor and turn whatever venue Fitz is playing into an instant party, “HandClap” is heavy on atmosphere but light on lasting content. It sounds like a lot of fun, and if the goal is to create the aural equivalent of a bowl of sugary breakfast cereal, they’ve succeeded. But it suffers from a massive lack of imagination, not to mention the fact that it’s hugely annoying. [4/10]
Chad Miller: Decently catchy, but past that there’s not much to look for, especially lyrically. On the bright side, the bass and saxophone do a lot of good for the track. Overall, nothing too special here, but it could all be worse. [6/10]
SCORE: 5.33