Hotwax Hot Shock

Critic's Take

Hotwax arrive on Hot Shock with an album that crackles and fizzes, and the best songs - notably “Wanna Be a Doll” and “One More Reason” - radiate self-destructive energy and obsessive intensity in the reviewer’s phrasing. The record’s arsenal of adrenalized anthems makes tracks like “Wanna Be a Doll” standout moments, while the album’s emotional centre, “One More Reason”, captures both devotion and unsettling over-attachment. Sim-Savage’s vocals move from nettle-sting ferocity to bruised introspection, which gives the top songs their jagged power and immediacy. The quieter “Pharmacy” shows the band’s range by revealing a brooding fragility amid the chaos, rounding out why these are the best tracks on Hot Shock.

Key Points

• The best song, "One More Reason", is the album's emotional centre, capturing devotion and unsettling over-attachment.
• The album’s core strengths are raw live intensity, jagged grunge-influenced riffs, and Sim-Savage’s volatile vocal range.

Themes

Critic's Take

HotWax's Hot Shock feels like a distilled live set, and the best songs - notably “Strange To Be Here” and “Chip My Teeth For You” - capture that unhinged, urgent buzz. Jamieson writes with a compact, admiring punch, noting how “Strange To Be Here” unfurls into chaos and how “Chip My Teeth For You” turns darker scuzz into a rally cry. She highlights the album's restraint and live-minded focus, even as the acoustic-led “Pharmacy” provides a rare change of pace. The result is a short, hefty debut that showcases HotWax's knack for translating their stage heat into ten tight tracks.

Key Points

• The best song works because it channels the band's live, unhinged energy into concise chaos.
• The album's core strength is a tight, live-minded punk-rock attack with raw, scuzzy textures and focused brevity.

Themes

Critic's Take

In a voice that revels in filth and fervour, Hotwax unleash Hot Shock as a bruising celebration of the best songs - namely “She’s Got A Problem” and “Wanna Be A Doll” - which hit with hammering guitars and sneering, surgical fury. The reviewer's relish for ferocious, unruly beasts comes through as they praise the riff-tastic stomp of “She’s Got A Problem” and the riotous, self-immolating howl of “Wanna Be A Doll”, positioning those tracks as the album’s standout moments. Even the sleeker moments like “Strange To Be Here” and the rumbling tenderness of “Lights On” are framed as part of a record that bottles HotWax’s chaotic, cathartic rage while still being made for dancing.

Key Points

• The best song is the opener, as “She’s Got A Problem” distills the album’s hammering guitars and ferocious energy into a perfect kickoff.
• The album’s core strengths are captured live-ready ferocity, sharp vocal venom, and the ability to turn existential angst into exuberant rock'n'roll.

Themes

Critic's Take

HotWax's debut Hot Shock is unapologetically guitar-first, and the record's best songs - notably “Chip My Teeth For You” and “Strange To Be Here” - show how the band treats chaos as an instrument rather than a flaw. The reviewer's voice thrills at the riffs, solos and combustible dynamics that make “Chip My Teeth For You” a knockout and “In Her Bedroom” a storytelling high point. There is also room for breathing space - the quieter payoff of “Pharmacy” proves the album's structure and restraint. Overall, the best tracks on Hot Shock are the ones that balance brute force with invention, and those moments are where HotWax really shine.

Key Points

• “Chip My Teeth For You” is the best song because it builds a literal 'wall of sound' and lands with maximal emotional and sonic impact.
• The album’s core strengths are its guitar-driven energy, inventive use of controlled chaos, and strong storytelling across tracks.

Themes

Critic's Take

HotWax arrive on Hot Shock with all the 90s alt credentials and enough momentum to make you sit up, though the anarchic live energy sometimes fails to fully translate. The reviewer's ears are drawn to the record's back half, naming “Chip My Teeth For You” and “Pharmacy” as the album's high points, thanks to thrilling riffs and a lovely falsetto respectively. It is a largely enjoyable opening statement that rewards deeper listening rather than instant hits.

Key Points

• The best song is “Chip My Teeth For You” because of its agitated rhythms, writhing riffs and thrilling impact.
• The album's core strength is its revival of 90s alternative energy and standout back-end moments that reward deeper listens.

Themes

Critic's Take

In a voice that brims with wry amazement, HotWax's Hot Shock stakes its claim with memorable peaks - notably “One More Reason” and “Dress Our Love”. The review revels in the band's controlled frenzy, praising the breakneck gurgling bass of “One More Reason” and the swaggering, hooky chorus of “Dress Our Love” as the album's clearest high points. Elsewhere the blown-out fury of “Chip My Teeth For You” is singled out for brilliant heaviness, while closer “Pharmacy” shows a softer, mostly acoustic side that hints at room to grow. Overall the narrative underlines that the best songs on Hot Shock pair 90s-leaning riffs with pop glue to deliver a debut that feels both polished and thrillingly immediate.

Key Points

• The best song, "Dress Our Love", pairs a killer riff with a pop-glue chorus and Top 40 swagger.
• The album's core strengths are controlled frenzy, 90s-leaning riffcraft and hooky choruses balanced with occasional quieter dynamics.

Themes