- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Alternative PressThere isn't one song on Elevator as undeniable as "Bandages"... No, there are 12 of them. [May 2005, p.172]
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FilterWhile you may see Hot Hot Heat as you want to see them--a one trick pony who turned their backs on their noise roots--we see them as a band more than capable of evolution and growth and mature songwriting. [#15, p.92]
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High kicks above their breakout debut by being brighter ("Dirty Mouth), wilier ("Goodnight Goodnight") and all around more pogo-inducing.
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SpinBasically the same thing--improved. [May 2005, p.101]
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Q MagazineThese 13 songs do the simple things, but do them wonderfully well. [May 2005, p.106]
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BlenderElevator has the zing of classic pop--and its sureness too. [May 2005, p.115]
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If the whizz-bang pace makes Hot Hot Heat sound a bit too eager to please, then Steve Bays' lyrics give even their fizziest pop songs a pleasingly tart kick.
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Initally, it all rushes by so fast as to rock you onto your heels, but further listens offer a quick grasp of a set of insidiously catchy songs.
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Mix[es] the band's '80s influences with clever lyrics that lift it above the "garage band" tag it was initially saddled with.
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New Musical Express (NME)'Breakdown' was a kicky little exercise in how to make a great pop record. 'Elevator' shows how to make one of substance. [23 Apr 2005, p.50]
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An absolute beauty of an album.
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Entertainment WeeklyHot Hot Heat have learned at least one valuable lesson from studying up on their pre-grunge history: the power of a tight, efficient song. [8 Apr 2005, p.62]
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UrbSolid... the album definitely hits its marks. [Apr 2005, p.102]
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Bays' voice can be cloying, but it's hard to imagine a more laid-back singer handling these ostentatious pop songs.
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Under The RadarHot Hot Heat haven't bothered to fix the formula that wasn't broken; they've just fleshed it out a bit. [#9]
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Hot Hot Heat has handled the pressure of going from happy discovery to possible-saviors-of-rock reasonably well.
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'Elevator' is not as instant as 'Make Up The Breakdown', though it has adequate catchy tunes in the style of XTC and Joe Jackson to retain most of the interest from those who enjoyed them last time.
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It has all of the stomp and swagger of Franz, if not the impeccable grooming.
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Despite the fact that it’s an obvious misstep from a band that seemed bulletproof... it's still a strong album with a lot more charm than, say, the Bravery or the Killers.
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With the absence of dance rhythms, though, the album could use some more grit than it has.
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I guess whether or not Elevator is worth picking up for you depends on just what you want from Hot Hot Heat. If you liked Make Up the Breakdown, still like it, and want more of the Hot Hot Heat you've come to know and love, then knock that rating up another .5 or so and walk briskly to the nearest record store to buy it.
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UncutThe emphasis tends to be on hooks, not heart. [May 2005, p.100]
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While it's far from being truly bad, Elevator is a disappointment, and a perplexing one: everything seems to be more or less in the right place, but still doesn't quite fit together.
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MojoThere are so many tricks twirling for your attention that the effect is a little like wearing all your clothes at once. [Jun 2005, p.100]
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The songs here are resolutely pop, almost bubblegum, and though they're sometimes buoyant, hyperkinetic, even fun, they have almost no depth or resonance to them.
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Hot Hot Heat sound like they're playing scared and playing it safe, and in doing so fall through the cracks between their established fans and their imagined ones.
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with the kind of music Hot Hot Heat makes. Nevertheless, bands have done it better.
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One battering, no-big impression album.
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Decidedly unremarkable.
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Elevator suggests the band isn't willing to take risks now that they've got a big-label home.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 25 out of 31
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Mixed: 3 out of 31
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Negative: 3 out of 31
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AshlieW.Aug 3, 2007
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AndyMar 23, 2007
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MeganSJul 25, 2006