Album Review by Mark Bayross
Has it really been three years since Hot Hot Heat burst into the Charts with the infuriatingly-catchy BANDAGES? Since then, the likes of The Killers and The Futureheads have taken spiky new age pop punk into the mainstream, taking up where Pulp and Blur left off a decade or so ago.
The Canadian band’s second album ELEVATOR will sound familiar to those who picked up their debut – recent single MIDDLE OF NOWHERE is a good representation of the record as a whole. Jaunty guitars, upbeat rhythms and flashes of keyboard are sure to put a smile on the face of even the most jaded of listeners, and songs like the Clash-sounding PICKIN’ IT UP may even get them onto the dance floor.
The value comes from songs like the twisty-turny ISLAND OF THE HONEST MAN – the closest Hot Hot Heat get to “epic” – while the clever-clever-titled YOU ME AN IOU sees them hammering out one of many potential hit singles.
Catchy and clever as before, ELEVATOR is bound to appeal to anyone who enjoys a bit of wordplay with their guitar pop.
