Hot Hot Heat echo a classic modern rock template, one that’s been the norm ever since… well, modern rock segued from retro rock (ala Roxy Music, the Cure, the Cars etc.) The fidgety arrangements, singer Steve Bays’ rubbery, downcast croon, the group’s driving delivery - all these elements find a place in Hot Hot Heat’s MO. But where their two previous releases tended to be more about posing and posturing, Happiness LTD. varies the approach ever so slightly, veering away from club-hopping mode and into a more assertive stance. Songs such as “Let Me In,” “Good Day to Die” and “So So Cold” rise to anthemic proportions, suggesting the band wants to break beyond their playful veneer and give their listeners something substantive to sink their teeth into. While they may not have achieved that in full - they still have a way to go before they can claim a distinctive sound all their own - the riveting refrains grafted onto “Outta Heart” and the assertive title track show them headed in the right direction. Closing track, the lofty keyboard ballad “Waiting for Nothing,” ramps up the drama factor as if to say, “hey folks, time for serious listening,” but this arched approach is only secondary. There are enough catchy come-ons to assuage any doubts about Hot Hot Heat’s ability to affirm the album’s title.
-- Lee Zimmerman
