Bursting with their electric rock sound, Hot Hot Heat came crashing through the rock gates on September 11, 2007 with their newest album: Happiness LTD. With the opening lyrics, “Happiness is limited but misery has no end,” the four-man band delivers another energetic, yet thoughtful album.
Steve Bays, Paul Hawley, Dustin Hawthorne, and Luke Paquin (along with a few other collaborators) deliver modern rock. Their jumpy ballads leave the listener tuned in with the beat and the lyric of each track. Reminiscent of their previous records, it brings the beloved sounds of yesteryear with a twist of today.
The band professes to having written nearly all of the tracks while on tour, testing songs out on fans during live performances before recording. Its diversity of tone betrays the many settings in which the songs were written: as diverse as Japan, the U.K., Australia, and Spain.
Initially, the band had intended to make a live album. They instead opted for a full, vibrant album with a story – Happiness LTD is the product of that decision. It took two years instead of two weeks, but the results speak for themselves.
Former Hot Hot Heat guitarist, Dante DeCaro, was replaced by Luke Paquin whose high-energy guitar playing is featured on this album: his first with Hot Hot Heat. The original three include Steve Bays for vocals and keyboards; Paul Hawley on drums; and Dustin Hawthorne on bass. Paquin’s guitar style blends right in with the keyed up HHH sound.
The lyrical makeup of the album, frontman Steve Bays states, “It covers the journey from bliss to misery and the attempt to get back to bliss, while acknowledging how exciting the ride can be in between. There’s an arc to the record as a whole; it almost comes across like a film, musically and lyrically.”
The journey of the album starts with the reverberating title track and ends with the building crescendo of the final “Waiting for Nothing”. The angst-filled middle includes the frantic and frustrated “My Best Fiend” and the tragic “Outta Heart”.
Fans of Hot Hot Heat’s previous work will appreciate the newest edition to their repertoire. It is fresh, innovative, and feisty with lyrics and rhythms many can relate to and appreciate. More information can be found on www.hothotheat.com.