Album Review: The Hot Lies - 'Ringing In The Sane'

I've given The Hot Lies

every chance to redeem themselves in the lead up to reviewing “Ringing

In The Sane”. I listened to the album numerous times, I watched video

clips, I did my research and after all of that, my verdict is still

the same... they're a good bunch of guys with some cools riffs and a

big budget but (and that's a big but) the songs just aren't cutting

it. 

As far as pop rock songs go, lead

single “Emergency! Emergency!” has crossed all it's T's and dotted

all the I's, but it still sounds like 50 other bands you could name.

Lead guitarist Luke can clearly play but even his creative fret work

can't take the song to the next level. “Burn For Me” opts for a

melody driven approach but Pete Wood's vocals simply aren't strong enough

to carry the tune. 

The intro riff to “Can't Stand

The Heat” sounds pretty sleazy and is one of the few highlights I

was able to find on the record but unfortunately The Hot Lies

are once again let down by their almost simplistic approach to song

writing.  

There's no denying that the guitars

on “Tokyo” are catchy... hell, I'll admit that I enjoyed it, 

but the vocals are just downright annoying and the performance footage

in the video clip is so melodramatic that it's painful to watch. It

comes as no surprise that “Tokyo” is in fact one of the tracks that

was co-written by Eskimo Joe because the melodies sound pretty

similar to something the Perth lads would churn out. 

The only word I could think of

to describe “Sharks Swim Everywhere” is boring and “Poison Arrow”

is more by the numbers pop rock, although the phrasing in the

chorus is one of the more memorable hooks on the album.  

I honestly enjoyed “Ringing

In The Sane” more than I thought I would but overall the album is

mediocre at best. Better luck next time guys.

1. Emergency! Emergency!
2. Burn For Me
3. Can't Stand The Heat
4. Tokyo
5. Sharks Swim Everywhere
6. Poison Arrow
7. For The Restless
8. Running Low
9. Diamond Eyes