Three and a half stars
If you haven't heard of Hot Water Music, you're not alone.
Despite releasing seven albums over 10 years, touring the United States, Europe and Australia, the band just hasn't reached many people in the Albuquerque area. But the members plan to change all that when they play the Sunshine Theatre tonight with the Bouncing Souls.
The Gainesville Fla. punk foursome have been hailed as the "the best punk band on the planet" by Magnet magazine and touted as one of the hardest working bands around.
"We don't operate in regular society anymore," said bassist Jason Black in a news release. "We're like carnies."
Rounding out the band are Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard, who share vocal and guitar duties, and George Rebelo on drums.
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Caution, the band's latest release under Epitaph records, is a no-nonsense dose of punk complete with wailing guitars, politically-charged lyrics and a hammering backbeat that holds up the band's supercharged sound.
"Remedy" kicks the album off with a shot of adrenaline that burns like iodine in a fresh cut. The scorched vocals, choppy guitars and throbbing rhythm section seem to beg for a mosh pit. Other notable tracks are "Trusty Chords," "Sweet Disasters" and "Not for Anyone."
Lyrically the band's writing is very tight. "Remedy" screams of a healing that isn't easily defined, "I need a remedy of diesel and dust/ Something I can taste with a fix I can trust/ Another high, more potent than lust/ Eating and repeating/ Like the workings of rust and time." "Trusty Chords" is a punk rock retelling of life on the road, "I hate this place but I love these chords/ An empty fate just means an even score/ And the pain this morning it filled my head/ It's Jameson. It means that I'm not dead."
While Caution succeeds in grabbing the listener's attention within 10 seconds of hitting play and is a worthy addition to any punk aficionado's library, it fizzles out a little with each listen.
For the most part HWM is a band that seems to know where it wants to be. Unfortunately, the band may be stuck right were it is. Caution hints of greatness but fails to deliver much more than the same trusty chords over similar beats and admirably tight lyrics, which is the curse that has plagued true punk bands for years.
Now the only question left is, how will Albuquerque respond to HWM's brand of diesel-fueled punk? Some will undoubtedly love it, and with good reason, while others will simply fail to notice the Florida foursome and life will continue much the same as it always has.
What: Hot Water Music and Bouncing Souls
When: Tonight, 7 p.m.
Where: Sunshine Theatre 120 Central Ave.
Price: $15
Ticket Info: 764-0249
