New Music Friday Vol. 8

This week, we finally get to talk about the two albums we know you're just sick of us going on about: Choke's Slow Fade or: How I learned to Question Inifinity; and Hot Hot Heat's Elevator. And the result are mixed - one is good, one is not.

Let's start with the one that's not. As much as it pains me to say this, I have to admit that I'm really not very impressed with Slow Fade. It's almost as if the band smoked a near lethal amount of pot just before recording this album, a big departure from the traditional super-tight tech-punk-math-rock that made [Foreward] an instant classic amongst other musicians. First off, the album is slow. Really slow. It is a decidedly introverted album, with the band exploring new styles and guitar effects. The results become bland not far past the third track. The timing tricks are still there, but the album just comes off as a downer. Too bad...

But wait! All is not lost this week! Hot Hot Heat, on the other hand, more than make up for Choke's upset with Elevator. From start to finish this album rocks on, true HHH-style, with only minor hiccups. In fact, there's not too much to say about this release. If you like HHH, you'll love the new album. A little more rock-y here and there, but doesn't stray far from the formula that makes Hot Hot Heat's brand of dance-punk so much fun at parties!

So there you have it: get Elevator, pass on Slow Fade. Watch for both bands in T.O. soon!