Hot Water Music - The New What Next
Hot Water Music is no doubt one of the reigning champs of the emo scene but their recent work has been somewhat spotty. After an arguably bland album in "A Flight And A Crash" they came back with the solid "Caution". Now it appears they've come back with another record that's not up to snuff with their previous work.
Of course this really depends on what parts of their music you like best. For me it's the driving guitar rhythms punctuated by tasteful yet dynamic dual lead guitars, the solid yet exploratory bass lines, big, bold choruses, the scratchy, aggressive Leatherface like vocals, and the incredibly imaginative drumming. When all these elements are firing it's hard to think of another band that writes such unique and passionate music.
While this album has hints of this, particularly on the exceptional "The End Of The Line", it is weighed down by a plethora of watered down songs that are missing the passion and conviction, and more importantly the drive, that really typifies the HWM sound. While these songs drift dangerously close to the bland sound of many of their MTV contemporaries, what saves the bulk of these from being total throw aways is the unique and melodic guitars and the reliance on their signature choruses which, like a weakened virus strain used for an immunization shot, still manages to infect you anyway.
There are a couple instances, on the haunting "There Are Already Roses" and closing track "Giver", where, even though they're set at half speed, they still manage to convey the full breadth of the HWM sound. These songs prove that this foray into slower, less aggressive waters is not a total waste. Of course these are counteracted by ballad type cuts like "The Ebb And Flow" and "Ink And Lead" which really have no business being on a HWM release.
Ultimately their distinctive sound, set a few levels lower on the blender scale than usual here, redeems this album and still makes it worth buying even if it's not as essential as any of their other releases. The real question is will they do what they did last time....follow up a weaker effort with another classic worthy of their past catalog. Cross your fingers!
Of course this really depends on what parts of their music you like best. For me it's the driving guitar rhythms punctuated by tasteful yet dynamic dual lead guitars, the solid yet exploratory bass lines, big, bold choruses, the scratchy, aggressive Leatherface like vocals, and the incredibly imaginative drumming. When all these elements are firing it's hard to think of another band that writes such unique and passionate music.
While this album has hints of this, particularly on the exceptional "The End Of The Line", it is weighed down by a plethora of watered down songs that are missing the passion and conviction, and more importantly the drive, that really typifies the HWM sound. While these songs drift dangerously close to the bland sound of many of their MTV contemporaries, what saves the bulk of these from being total throw aways is the unique and melodic guitars and the reliance on their signature choruses which, like a weakened virus strain used for an immunization shot, still manages to infect you anyway.
There are a couple instances, on the haunting "There Are Already Roses" and closing track "Giver", where, even though they're set at half speed, they still manage to convey the full breadth of the HWM sound. These songs prove that this foray into slower, less aggressive waters is not a total waste. Of course these are counteracted by ballad type cuts like "The Ebb And Flow" and "Ink And Lead" which really have no business being on a HWM release.
Ultimately their distinctive sound, set a few levels lower on the blender scale than usual here, redeems this album and still makes it worth buying even if it's not as essential as any of their other releases. The real question is will they do what they did last time....follow up a weaker effort with another classic worthy of their past catalog. Cross your fingers!
