Think of dance music and, thanks to decades of lowest common denominator beat makers and waves of cliched euro-dance-dross, you might be thinking of throwaway sounds and forgettable tunes. Similarly, think of synth pop, and the same underwhelming music ushers up. It is as if having been given the tools and technology to do interesting things in the studio, a whole generation forgot about what matters – melody, songs, lyrics, hook – not to mention other desirable qualities such as mystery, charisma, originality, and the like.
So Hot Hail! arrives less as a continuation of the synth-pop/dancefloor tradition, but more as its savior. And if you can hear the past echoing in the music, that past will be different for everyone. Some might hear hints of early underground disco, others that wave of ex-punks, disenchanted by the way their genre had turned in on itself, seeking new outlets, and some will hear the more discerning edge of the modern, underground clubland at its finest.
“Flesh” is a case in point, bubbling beats driven by disco handclaps, brooding basslines, and a cooler, post-punk darkness sweeping through the heart of the song. “Silver Silver” is intriguing and urgent and atmospheric, shimmering 80’s lines dancing through a cinematic soundscape. Recent single “Needle” feels like the soundtrack to a cyberpunk-noir while discussing the demise of relationships, and “Enough to Run” blends an infectious groove and a sense of freedom with restrained, cutting-edge synth shapes.
Too seductive to be labeled merely synth-pop, too aware to be simply dance music, too relevant to be post-punk, and, sadly, perhaps a bit too smart to go mainstream, Hope in Hell is as unexpected as it is brilliant.
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