New Hot Water Music comp boils over

By Nate Adams
Collegian Editor
February 27, 2008

Hot Water Music’s second rarities and b-sides compilation is titled Till The Wheels Fall Off; it’s a fitting name for an album by a band known for its reckless emotion delivered in a package of throaty bellows and hard, fast music.

It’s important to note that, while this album is good, it doesn’t re-invent the compilation record. Chances are good that if you’re a long-time, die-hard fan of HWM, you’ve heard a good number of these tracks before. That being said, for more casual fans like myself, Till The Wheels Fall Off is a fine collection of Hot Water Music’s unreleased, late period tracks.

Those familiar with Hot Water Music no doubt have an opinion about the group’s work with Epitaph Records. For some, the shift from smaller labels to the punk juggernaut was exactly what the band needed; it focused their hardcore sound and allowed for the development of a more accessible type of song. Others believe that signing to Epitaph was the nail in the band’s coffin, forever moving them away from their hardcore roots into a world of bland, mid-tempo melodic punk.

While Till The Wheels Fall Off probably won’t convert the naysayers into believers, it’s pretty hard to argue with so many quality tracks. Two early standouts are “Radio,” an Alkaline Trio cover off of a split, and the b-side “So Many Days.” The former is a faithful rendition of a fan favorite with a sharp edge to it, while the latter is a gruff-yet-engaging slower rocker that showcases vocalist Chuck Ragan’s trademark introspection wrapped in bearded, throaty vocals.

While the CD takes most of its 23 tracks from the band’s late period work, there are a few chestnuts for older fans. One such bonus for the old heads is the presence of the Moonpies for Misfits EP represented on the album with three of the releases four songs. The faithful will also like “Caught Up,” which calls back to the band’s earliest days, both in theme and production.

The album is a bit long in the tooth; the massive track list clocks in at just a shade under 80 minutes, and it can be really daunting to attempt to tear through the record in one sitting. And songs like “Last Goodbyes” really showcase what people hate about the band’s Epitaph work, things like a reliance on guitar lines without any weight to support them. The pacing of the album is kind of screwy, but it’s forgivable considering that it’s a compilation CD and not a proper album.

At the time of this review, the future of Hot Water Music is uncertain. While still officially broken up, they have been playing reunion shows all across the country, and there are rumblings that the band will reunite to write new music. How true these rumors are remains to be seen; both Ragan and The Draft, the two bands formed in the Hot Water Music split, have stated that they want to continue their individual projects.

Most people would agree that another Hot Water Music album would be nice, but if the sun has truly set on this seminal punk band, Till The Wheels Fall Off serves as a good, if not great send-off to one of the scene’s oldest and finest.

adamsn1@lasalle.edu