Album Review: Dot Hacker - How’s Your Process? (Work)

First things first; yes, Dot Hacker is Josh Klinghoffer’s other band. As staunch as Red Hot Chili Peppers’ music might be to some, Klinghoffer’s entry into the band following John Frusciante’s departure was big news. It thankfully brought new fans to Dot Hacker from the Chili Peppers’ huge fanbase, but the effect was short-lived, and it led to delays for debut album Inhibition. How’s Your Process? (Work) is an album from a band now trying to prove their own identity, and the results show that struggle.

The fact that this is a band made up of uniquely talented musicians is clear from the diversity of styles and arrangements on show here. Nineties-aping industrial beats clash against twangy reverb in First In Forever; Sermon Of Sorts is classic British rock in a New York café. The fact that bands like Gnarls Barkley, Hella, The Motels and even El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez fill up these muso’s resumes means that there’s equal weight given to different styles, with neo-soul and new wave tinges playing off jazz drum sections and arena-rock guitar leads. It all gets a bit washed-out in heavy tone at points, which drags down the high points.

How’s Your Process? (Work) is what happens when a bunch of guys who are all talented in different waves of the musical spectrum get together and embrace those differences. The album does come off sounding The Bends-ish, and with a follow-up in Play coming later this year, we’ll see if it pays off in the long run.