• Band / Artist : Hotrod Cadets
• Genre : Rock / Pop
• Sample Track Download : My Heart Sinks
• Buy CD : Buy
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 8 out of 10

This is a band whose album has long been in my CD rotation, for no other reason that it’s absolutely magic. When I first heard this album, it brought back strong memories of the 80’s indie scene in the UK. A time when every Smiths new release was hotly anticipated. With this, their first album, the Hotrod Cadets have a very polished sound, but at the same time it has a raw edge, which is very welcoming.

The album opens with the very strong track My Heart Sinks, which sets the tone for the whole album. Not The Only One, further re-enforces the sound for the rest of the album, which is pretty consistent. The track Sunday has an interesting sax intro, which sounds a helluva lot like a band called Three Stations East, a short lived band I used to love in the 90’s. Mind you I did happen to be friends with the sax player, so that’s me probably showing a bit of bias.

Try as I might, I can safely say there’s not a stinker on the album. Excellent Girl is a particularly good track, with lyrics that are very easy to relate to. I think many men can say they are at odds musically with their significant others. The lyrics on the album are particularly fitting and there’s a strong hint of the sardonic tongue of Morrissey in places.

Conclusion : This is an album that I can imagine many record companies would insist needs polishing. I say sod ’em cos it’s perfect the way it is.