Hotlung are based out of Santa Cruz, California. Their line-up features members of various bands from the Bay Area and surrounding environs (such as Fury 66, Bayside, The Deathless and Daxma, amongst others). In Spite Of is their debut LP, and is released via Little Rocket Records in the UK and Sell the Heart Records in the US.
For some reason, I had convinced myself that I’d reviewed this when it came out in June. However, that is not the case. It seems like an appropriate time to correct that now, as the band release a video for Never Home…
Repeated listens to this incredibly rich debut unveil a whole Smorgasbord of influences being brought into the mix. The real bones of it seem to rest somewhere between the muscular post-hardcore of Quicksand, the smarts of Fugazi and the post-punk pep of the first couple of full length records from Pretty Girls Make Graves.
There is seemingly more depth once you scratch the already robust surface. The musicianship demonstrated here always catches you slipping; segueing for example between bludgeoning Kim Thayill and Jerry Cantrell-esque (Soundgarden and Alice In Chains respectively) riffage, to more of a mid-West emo feel.
You don’t have to feel around completely in the dark to find texture-rich sounds that draw comparison to early Smashing Pumpkins and The Pixies for example. In some places I find that I can’t help but draw mental comparisons to Samiam, and in others to the likes of Jawbox and Bluetip, maybe even Red Hare.
It’s really not just the music that makes this band shine, though. Kelly Dalbeck’s vocals are clear and bright. There’s a soulful, careworn and haunted aspect to the vocal lines as she explores ideas around the politicization and identity of being female, and dissociation from your own self. I read somewhere that a bunch of this stuff is centered around not feeling as a woman, that you ever have complete agency over your own body. Heavy stuff that as a man, I think we (collectively as men) need to dedicate time to unpacking and hold ourselves and others to account. Anyway, the vocals put me in mind of Caitlin de Marais from Rainer Maria, one of my all-time favourite vocalists.
The album is available to pre-order now on 12″ Vinyl in two variants (Gold and Black), via Sell The Heart Records (US), Little Rocket Records (U.K.) and through the Hotlung bandcamp page, where you can also pick it up on CD if that’s your jam.
Tony of Nurgle rating: 9/10
Hotlung are:
Kelly Dalbeck – Vocals
Joe Clements – Guitars/Vocals
Jon Jamieson – Guitars
Dustin Roth – Drums
Brian Lonsdorf – Bass
