Hot Water Music - Caution

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 16 / 9 / 2002

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Review

No band sums up the potent and affecting nature of hardcore quite like Hot Water Music, and another new album from these underground heroes irrefutably makes the world a better place. It is their second album on the Epitaph label, following up last year’s 'A Flight And A Crash'. That record disappointed some of Hot Water Music’s large fan base, which may have been joyed by the sense of experimentation within the music but sad that the Hot Water Music they had enjoyed had been replaced by a band that sounded less unique and less focused. Those people will be delighted to learn that Hot Water Music have produced an album a little more similar to their earlier albums on the Doghouse label, but one that reveals the artistic growth made on 'A Flight And A Crash'. It is quite simply a stunning album that will delight and unite hardcore kids everywhere. It is quite apparent that Hot Water Music have a inimitable sound. The funky rhythms provided by the drummer and bassist seem to quarrel with the violent riffs of the two guitar players, and the untutored vocals seem to clash with both the instruments and each other. It’s an approach that takes some getting used to but one that works outrageously well. The band seems to tour non-stop. The years spent playing tiny clubs around the globe have made them tight and inventive, something that always comes across when you play a brand new Hot Water Music record. They sound inspired by this suite of songs, each of which has an engaging melody and enthralling lyrical theme. The style of the wordplay is often abstract, but there is a real skill in combining horrific imagery with genuine human sentiments as the vocalists do here. The singers always operate as a pair (a style that has spawned countless imitators and some of the worlds best bands-Rydell and Hunter Gatherer have both used this style to great effect on their debut records) and this only adds to the song’s effect. In an album as consistently exceptional as this one it is difficult to pick out individual high points, but I’ll try. 'It's All Related' uses guitar effects in a similar manner to the great Fugazi, but explodes into a catchy chorus and an electric guitar solo. There are nods towards Bad Religion and even ska on this song. It’s the song that comes closest to the sound of the previous album, cruising between styles at an alarming rate, but equally it’s the most focused and direct song they have performed in their career. The next song begins with the two guitarists soloing in tandem, a nod to 80’s metal that is brutally effective in a short burst. For a band that are hip underground scenesters they sure do listen to some cheesy stuff, but they never had a sense of “cool”, thankfully, so couldn’t possibly lose it. 'We’ll Say Anything We Want' is one of the album's most musically advanced tracks, and recalls the 'Fate’s Got A Driver' period of Chamberlain, with its frequent changes of rhythm and slow burning melody. Some might say that the 'Caution' in the title denotes the fact that Hot Water Music have played it safe in making a hardcore record, rather than building on the experiments of last year. Most, however, will realise that Hot Water Music are still genuinely pushing hardcore music in new directions on 'Caution'. This is an album that should be a huge commercial success, but also one that is an artistic triumph. It’s uplifting, but not overbearing, it is distinctive but not inaccessible and it features nods to a wide variety of influences without ever copying anyone. An incredible album.

Track Listing:-

1 Remedy
2 Trusty Chords
3 I Was On A Mountain
4 On Step To Slip
5 It's All Related
6 The Sense
7 Not For Anyone
8 Sweet Disasters
9 Alright For Now
10 We'll Say Anything We Want
11 Wayfarer
12 The End

Label Links:-

http://epitaph.com/
https://www.facebook.com/epitaphrecord
http://epitaphrecords.tumblr.com/
http://www.kingsroadmerch.com/epitaph-
https://twitter.com/epitaphrecords
https://www.youtube.com/epitaph