Hot Water Music
The Fire, The Steel, The Tread / Adds Up to Nothing
Self-release (2011)
Score: 8/10
The members of Hot Water Music have certainly been busy over the last few years. Following their hiatus in 2006, vocalists Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard each launched successful solo careers, while bassist Jason Black hooked up with post-hardcore band Senses Fail and drummer George Rebelo spent some time with fellow Gainesville punks Against Me!. While working on these other projects, Hot Water Music has still played shows together and they recorded a cover of Bouncing Soul’s True Believers, but this week Hot Water Music is really back, with a new 7” consisting of their first original songs in seven years.
The Fire, The Steel, The Tread began life as a Chuck Ragan solo song that never made it onto one of his albums and it definitely doesn’t sound like anything HWM has released before. It’s got those heavy doses of Americana influence that Ragan has become known for and people are going to have differing opinions on whether or not this works as a HWM song, but as a huge fan of Ragan’s solo work, I think it’s great. Wollard, Rebelo, and Black do a great job taking the mid tempo song and giving it an extra kick, and Ragan’s melody is instantly catchy and easy to sing along to.
Chris Wollard takes the lead on All Adds Up to Nothing, and it’s much closer in style to where the band left off on The New What Next and the Hot Water Music (minus Chuck) project The Draft. Since Ragan handled lead on last year’s Bouncing Souls cover, it’s been over 4 years since we’ve heard Wollard with this much energy backing him, so it’s a welcome treat. The song is quick, fun, and sure to wet fan’s appetites for the band’s next full length, which will be out on Rise Records next year.
The 7” isn’t the strongest release of Hot Water Music’s long career, but it’s a great reintroduction to a band that has proved to be so influential. The two track EP is available now on iTunes and Amazon, and will be available on vinyl on August 29th via the band’s webstore.
-Emily Matview
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