Almost exactly two years after the release of the superb ‘Caution’, Hot Water music are back with a new album, ‘The New What Next’. This latest release is the band’s third effort since joining Epitaph and is without a doubt their most mature and musically accomplished to date.
Let’s make no bones about it – HWM are not the same band that started out on No Idea all those years ago. One thing that has remained constant though is their ability to churn out quality release after quality release. ‘The New What Next’ is different, though. This album is the best thing HWM have ever done, and given their back catalogue that’s quite an achievement. The quality of this album isn’t immediately apparent – it takes a good few listens to really appreciate what makes this release so special. For forceful, fluid and intricate punk rock, you would be hard pressed to find a better band that HWM.
One of the most striking aspects of this album is the quality of the songs, and I don’t mean that as basically as it sounds. The album flows well, but even better is the fact that if you take any one song apart from the rest, it manages to stand up as a great song in it’s own right – with it’s own style and tempo. It would be fair to say there isn’t an average song on this album, let alone a bad one. In terms of musical direction ‘The New What Next’ is slower in places than you would have expected from this band. It is this measured approach, however, that really enables the band to shine. The album is launched with ‘Keep it Together, a driving anthem, that is uniquely paced and impossible to forget. It is on this song that you remember that this band have the best rhythm section in punk rock – the bass and drums add so much to HWM’s sonic arsenal.
If the pace of the first track is a surprise then ‘Ink and Lead’ is a real eye opener. This is a track that is as close to a ballad as this band have ever come, and proves to be hauntingly effective. Like wise, the mid-tempo ‘All Heads Down’, with its infectious guitar riffs, proves the decision to give each track an identity of its own was a wise one. However, for all this apparent change, the backbone of what makes this band appeal to such a broad audience of fans is still in place. If you want driving, melodic punk anthems this album features some of the band’s finest. ‘Ebb and Flow’ sparkles thanks to its chorus, ‘Monkey Wrench’ is catchy as hell and the pairing of ‘Giver’ and ‘Poison’ are simply two of the best songs this band has ever written.
With ‘The New What Next’ Hot Water Music have crafted a set of songs to treasure. The band may have written better individual songs before, but the overall quality of this album is consistently high throughout. The band’s full range of abilities has never been showcased so well. Each song is special in its own right and together they make up the best album this band has ever produced. In years to come this album should rightly be looked back upon as a classic. Album of 2004 – I know where my money is going…
www.hotwatermusic.com
Mark