This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
With far too many punk bands — and far too many bands of any genre, frankly — once you’ve heard one of their albums, you’ve heard them all.
Hot Water Music, thankfully, are not one of those bands. Their 2001 Epitaph debut A Flight And A Crash ranked as one of the more accomplished and mature punk discs of the year; since then, these long-serving Floridians have continued to up the ante with each release. The New What Next is no exception. Merging formidable technical skills with a knack for indelible melodies, HTM deliver expertly crafted tracks whose surging guitars and rhythmic complexity are balanced by their anthemic choruses. Add distinctive arrangements and enough production to get the point across without getting in the way and you’ve got a disc that raises the bar — both for themselves in particular and punk in general. I’m already looking forward to what comes next.
