Hot Rod Circuit

If It’s Cool With You, It’s Cool With Me (Triple Crown)
by Tim Den

If anything, I’d hand it to these guys for practicing what they preach: “Versatility.” Or an attempt at it, at least. Hot Rod Circuit has expanded their sound to include much more punch (as in heavier guitars and faster tempos) and a whole slew of emo subgenre stylings, all of which contribute to this disc’s varied pace and flavor. They’ve covered all the ground here: The Get Up Kids (“Radio Song”), Midwestern/Polyvinyl rock (“Two Hands Touch”), Mineral (“The Power of the Vitamins,” which just begs comparison not only to Mineral’s music, but their debut’s record title The Power of Failing), Hot Water Music (“Cool with Me”), As Friends Rust (the aforementioned “Versatility”), Jimmy Eat World ballads (“This is Not the Time or Place”)… you name it “emo,” they do it. Okay, so
(331 West 57th St. PMB 472 New York, NY 10019)