Future Breeds

The band are in fact back in top form, showing the pretenders how it's done and throwing their detractors for a loop. There's a legitimate electricity behind Future Breeds that the genre sorely needs.

Even though it's broken up by the occasional plodding piano number, Future Breeds can be a gauntlet of abrasive blasts of energy. Good thing, then, that it's so satisfying to make it out the other side.

Just as one starts thinking there's not enough to grasp onto here, and there is generally too much all-over-the-place weirdness, one is hit by something like the impassioned singing at the end of "Jeddidiah," the climactic strings that come out of nowhere on "Buzinezz as Usual," or the breakneck rhythmic shifts of the punk rave up "Implosionatic." [Summer 2010, p.84]

The tension between the band's hooky ways and their need to break away from them is almost palpable on Future Breeds, but pop wins this tug-of-war on its standout tracks.

While Future Breeds isn't quite as top notch as their 'Bandages'-spawning hit, it is a strong album nonetheless and probably their finest work since.

Future Breeds is also HHH's first self-produced album; like many rookies behind the boards, they seem to want every instrument loud as fuck.

Full of complex and diverse arrangements, Hot Hot Heat's riskier approach on Future Breeds seems appropriate for its return to an indie label.

The songs blend together in a rather blatant way, and that really doesn't do the album's coherency any favors; despite their best efforts, Hot Hot Heat still hasn't crafted an "album" yet, only a decent collection of songs. That said, the songs here are built for live-show sing-alongs and are entirely easy to digest.

The songs here aren't as memorable as those early semi-hits ("Bandages," "Talk to Me, Dance With Me"); and some, like the fuzz-funk title track, suggest unfinished sketches. But yelpy frontman Steve Bays keeps the energy high.

The Vancouver-based geek-funk group are making a good fist of it on their fifth opus and, for the most part, Future Breeds crackles and fizzes with electro-punk-tinged invention.

The sheer amount of ideas thrown in sometimes makes it sound a little OTT, especially when they combine doo-wop vocals, sea shanty melodies and a heavy metal gallop on Businezz Az Uzual. [Aug 2010, p.120]

Canadian indie-rockers rediscover youthful vigour. [July 2010, p. 95]

Hot Hot Heat still have a knack for hooks and are finally steering clear of limp ballads (for the most part) and embedding them within energetic guitar and keyboard arrangements that recall their early work.