Hot Hot Heat'Make Up The Breakdown'

Sub Pop Records

Grade: B


Emo has fallen under a stigma in the past few yeas, with many punk and indie purists shying away from bands under that label, due to huge amounts of over-self-indulgence on the bands' parts. Luckily, Hot Hot Heat are here to bring you the best of the emo sound with none of the whining.

Instead of giving into navel-gazing tendencies, Hot Hot Heat have laced their excellent second effort, "Make Up The Breakdown," with bitingly funny lyrics, like the beginning of "Naked in the City Again," in which Steve Bays sings, "Says she's got it all / Says she's got it / I don't wanna be the one to tell her that she don't."

Like most of the songs on their album, "Naked in the City Again" is irresistibly catchy and easily accessible without sounding over-processed or two-dimensional. The album itself is a tour de force through some of the melodic evolution of punk rock, from the sing-along melody of "This Town," to the Strokes-y sound of "Oh Goddammit," and the lounge-y feel of "In Cairo." "Aveda" sounds like they took their cue from late-80s Elvis Costello, and their first single from the album, "Bandages," is a poppy, catchy tune with silly lyrics that is better than most of the rock floating around MTV these days.

The album is not perfect. The songs can seem to blend together slight, especially in the middle of the album. Some of the lyrics can inspire eye-rolling, such as, "I've got bandages on my legs and arms from you," and Steven Bay's vocal stylings are not for everyone.

The reggae style of "Bandages" seems slightly awkward and forced, and "In Cairo" runs far too long. But "Make Up The Breakdown" is a chance to revel in excellent emo-inflected music that won't bore you to tears with its introspection and whining. It's accessible, it's consistent, and it's certainly worth listening to.