This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Finally, proof that not everyone from Calgary is either a cowpoke, a conservative and/or a craven capitalist. Indie-rock foursome Hot Little Rocket don’t fit into any of those categories — and they defy musical classification pretty handily as well.
Which is not to say you can’t see where they’re coming from. Their tensile, slash-and-burn guitars recall vintage Gang of Four, their post-punk psychedelic swirls are reminiscent of Yo La Tengo, their yelping vocals will remind you of Superchunk, and their obscure post-grad lyrics (“Tie double knots for traction / Are plagiarists in fashion?”) — well, they’re straight outta Pavement’s left field. And when they arc-weld them all together into the intricate framework of tunes like Did Yr Ship Come In?, Vive Death and Firesale, Hot Little Rocket forge a dynamic, challenging brand of aural sculpture with nearly limitless potential. In other words, you may be able to see where they’re coming from, but as for where they’re headed, the sky’s the limit.
