{"id":23763,"date":"2014-03-26T19:07:00","date_gmt":"2014-03-26T19:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/versus-hot-water-music-caution-vs-exister\/"},"modified":"2023-04-20T23:43:25","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T22:43:25","slug":"versus-hot-water-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/versus-hot-water-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Versus: Hot Water Music – ‘Caution’ vs ‘Exister’ vs ‘No Division’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since forming in 1993, Gainesville, Florida\u2019s Hot Water Music<\/strong> have been an influential beating heart in the genres of punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, indie rock and emo. Named after a book by Charles Bukowski, the band consists of guitarist\/vocalist Chuck Ragan, vocalist\/guitarist Chris Wollard, bassist Jason Black and drummer George Rebelo. The lineup has been consistent despite having broken up and reformed various times in their career.<\/p>\n

The most recent split was in 2006 when Ragan left the band to pursue a solo career causing the other members to restructure themselves as The Draft. Eventually, by 2008, the gruff-laden quartet returned and has been ploughing through ever since.<\/p>\n

Their discography is filled with seven studio albums, over a dozen EPs and two live albums. They\u2019ve been signed to the likes of No Idea<\/strong>, Doghouse<\/strong>, Epitaph<\/strong>, and more recently Rise Records<\/strong>. Yet as previously mentioned, they have a lasting vast imprint on the alternative scene as we know it.<\/p>\n

In honour of the release of Chuck Ragan\u2019s fourth album \u2018Till Midnight\u2019<\/em>, we at Already Heard\u00a0<\/strong>have thought it only right to argue which of his band\u2019s albums is best. In one corner, Jay Sullivan stands by their more recent effort ‘Exister\u2019;<\/em>\u00a0over the other side, Alex Phelan raises fifth LP ‘Caution\u2019<\/em> on to the pedestal. Additionally, Aaron Lohan has decided to represent and argue why their earlier efforts shouldn\u2019t be forget, which he does via a piece on third effort ‘No Division\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What do you consider to be Hot Water Music<\/strong>‘s\u00a0best album and why? Let us know on our\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter<\/a> pages.<\/em><\/p>\n

‘Caution’ <\/strong>(by Alex Phelan<\/a>)<\/h2>\n

Hot Water Music<\/strong>\u2019s decision to make Epitaph Records<\/strong> their new home in 2001 was a divisive one to say the least. Their first album on the new label, \u2018A Flight and a Crash\u2019<\/em>, was a far more accessible release than anything they did at No Idea<\/strong>. The songs were simpler in structure and more tuneful than their earlier material.<\/p>\n

Some took this as a cue to rather ridiculously brand them as sellouts. More the fool them, for a year later Hot Water Music<\/strong> released their opus in \u2018Caution\u2019,<\/em> and all of a sudden, all the naysayers had very little naying to say at all.<\/p>\n

What \u2018Caution\u2019<\/em> does is build on the new foundations laid by the previous album whilst including everything that made them a brilliant band in the first place. Yes, it\u2019s still very accessible: you could even call it poppy. I certainly couldn\u2019t have danced to them at a night club if it wasn\u2019t for this album. At the same time, it\u2019s shrewd and bold, and includes many of the finest songs in their impressive arsenal.<\/p>\n

I wonder if there\u2019s a more recognisable beginning to a contemporary punk rock record than Chuck Ragan\u2019s throat-shredding volley of \u201cI need a remedy! Of diesel and dust, something I can taste with a fix I can trust<\/em>\u201d. This is the stuff that gets hearts throbbing and fists pumping show after show, year after year. Well over a decade after release, it still sounds as alive, as fresh and as relevant as it ever did.<\/p>\n

After \u2018Remedy\u2019<\/em> follows the somehow even more anthemic \u2018Trusty Chords\u2019<\/em>, which is a classic example of everything that makes this album a world-beater. Everything the guitars and bass are doing is wonderfully unique. No instrument is a passenger, all are equal parties in the masterpiece, and whilst these tracks may be uncomplicated at face value, there are layers here such that no two listens feel quite the same.<\/p>\n

Chris Wollard takes charge of the vocals for the emotionally charged \u2018I Was On a Mountain\u2019<\/em>. It\u2019s a reminder that all you have and hold dear can be gone in a second, and you can feel the anguish and remorse in Chris\u2019s voice as he warns, \u201cCaution! The solid ground you are on will slide from under you<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Another facet of \u2018Caution\u2019<\/em> is the fantastic lead sections that ripple through every song. There\u2019s no fear of allowing the rhythm section to carry the tune and let the guitars run wild, crisscrossing each other in an almost jazz-punk style that is frankly dazzling.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2018The Sense\u2019<\/em> is an uncharacteristically lightning-fast track that combines Chuck and Chris\u2019s vocals perfectly. Chuck traditionally shouldered the vast majority of the vocals for the band but \u2018Caution\u2019<\/em> represents the point where their choral pairing because of a true tour de force. Here Ragan\u2019s fiery, rugged vocals are the engine and Wollard\u2019s stirring, more melodic delivery rides the sidecar.<\/p>\n

The theme of suffering and recovery which flows through \u2018Caution\u2019<\/em> is picked up again on \u2018Alright For Now\u2019<\/em>, as Chuck confides \u201cI\u2019m alright for now but I haven\u2019t been, got lots of shit behind me<\/em>\u201d. It\u2019s a line which embodies the cathartic nature of an album which never comes across as whiney but instead a victory for the soul\u2019s better angels over its demons.<\/p>\n

The ending of \u2018Caution\u2019<\/em> is every bit as jaw-dropping as its beginning. You have \u2018Wayfarer\u2019<\/em>, a triumphant blast of positivity as we come out of a dark, emotional journey into the light. The song is structured around big, bold choruses of harmonised \u201cwoahs\u201d, which far from sounding lazy and generic, are sung in such a layered, well-crafted manner that they sound iconic.<\/p>\n

Finally comes \u2018The End\u2019<\/em>, dynamic with a wonderful groove combined with brash, punky confidence. Chris proclaims, \u201cThese complicated words, are coming down, I\u2019ve searched for them so long<\/em>\u201d,\u00a0 and you get the feeling that everything Hot Water Music<\/strong> strived for has suddenly all come together.<\/p>\n

\u2018Caution\u2019<\/em> is the jewel in the crown of a band as respected in punk rock as they are in hardcore, as not only great songwriters but incredible musicians. They\u2019ll never make another one quite like this.<\/p>\n