Album Review: The Hot Lies - 'Emergency! Emergency! (Single)'

According to the press sheet I

was sent this week, “The Hot Lies” last EP - Heart Attacks And Callous

Acts - sold in excess of 10,000 copies! What I can’t get my head around

is how said EP shifted so many units, because if Emergency! Emergency!

is any indication of the band’s song writing ability, well… “The

Hot Lies” just aren’t very good. 

The title track doesn’t waste

any time, kicking off with a pretty standard riff and lead guitar part

and within 20 seconds you’re hit with Pete Wood’s strained vocals.

From day one I wasn’t sold on the guy’s singing ability and he doesn’t

seem to have improved over the last couple of years.  

The B-Side is a cover of Cyndi

Lauper’s cheesy 80’s hit “Time After Time” and I’m shocked

to find that it’s actually worse than the original. It sounds like

something that a 15 year old band rehearsing next door in their parent’s

garage would come up with – not a band that’s spent the better part

of 2 years on the road! 

When your band is peddling “by

the numbers” pop rock, your vocalist better have something special

up his/her sleeve. Unfortunately for “The Hot Lies”, they just don’t

have it.

1. Emergency! Emergency!
2. Time After Time
3. Ghosts And Mirrors

   (Acoustic)