“Meh”. That’s about the adequate expression I can use to describe Hot Hot Heat’s latest album Elevator. It’s not terrible, but then again, it isn’t that good either. Like when someone asks you how your weekend was and it takes you a moment to recall exactly what you did, this album requires some jogging of the memory to recall a few tracks that stood out from the pack.
Elevator is easy on the ears, boppy, and is sure to be a more than adequate release for fans of dance-friendly pop-rock. But there is something missing. Innovation, perhaps? Risk-taking, definitely. Not that every great album requires those elements to make it work, but when the material isn’t strong enough to stand up against other bands doing exactly the same thing at the moment, these things can’t hurt.
On the plus side, there are moments of near-salvation in this album, most notably the tracks Island Of The Honest Man and Middle Of Nowhere.
Island Of The Honest Man has a groovy undercurrent and there is a welcome contrast between the rapid delivery of the verses and the slower, soaring chorus. It’s a lot more innovative than previous songs, and shows that Hot Hot Heat may indeed be capable of more than just playing it safe. Middle Of Nowhere’s strength lies in the great chorus. It is a relatively down-tempo song with a good drumbeat, simple guitars and nice little piano touches and is one of the only tracks that contains a melody that can be recalled after the album is over.
Other than these songs, Elevator is made up of tracks that fall within the boundaries of inoffensive pop-rock. Sure, there are moments that will get your toes tapping and your ears pricking up, but these quickly dissipate behind sub-standard choruses and uninspiring verses. Likewise for Steve Bays’ vocals – at times they really complement a song, but are just as often all over the shop.
Examples of these elements can be found in the back-to-back tracks Ladies and Gentleman and You Owe Me An IOU. The former is awkward-sounding and sloppy, and the latter is unremarkable other than for the drummed introduction.
Final track Elevator begins promisingly with a piano intro and moody guitars, but quickly loses its semblance of atmosphere during the verses.
What is most frustrating is that this is not what I would call a really bad album. It would be easier to review if it were. The disappointment lies in the fact that it is ‘just okay’ and there isn’t enough individuality to set it away from the plethora of quirky indie-rock bands that abound at the moment.
