Written by: Steve Lucas
Band:
Title:
Release Date:
The Hot One Two
Virtues
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Virtues is the second full studio album from Cambridge based rockers The Hot One Two. It was recorded at North Acre Studios in Catworth, produced by Jake Day and mastered by Grant Berry. It follows EPs Come Whatever May (2019), Unrestrained (2022) and their debut album Superbia (2023). This latest release is a high energy, polished piece of work, packed with vocal and instrumental hooks. It has instant ‘sing-alongability’. Combine that with the bands already impressive stage presence and audiences at their live shows are going to be completely engaged. It also shows the musical progression of a band prepared to collectively challenge each other and add elements to their songwriting and performance.
The album opens with a high energy slap to the face called The Reaper. The intro riff grabs your attention and builds dramatically before launching into the first verse. By the time the vocals start, you know you are in for an adrenaline rush. The riffs keep coming and they are living things – each evolution introduces a new section of the song. The call and response style chorus works brilliantly, and I can already hear audiences chanting the responses in my head. This is a belter of an opener – exactly what a rock album needs. It’s no surprise this track was selected to be the first single release. The second single, Alive Again, happens be the second track on the album. The intro reminded me of one of my favourite Foo Fighters tracks – Everlong, which is not a bad way to start a track. It has other similarities to Everlong in as much as it’s a proper rock anthem. The song is about resilience, self-belief, and finding ways to not let life get on top of you. The lyrics carry that message really well and the soaring chorus really has an uplifting feeling about it. As a choice of second single, it’s another tick in the box. It just feels right. To be fair, any of the 9 tracks could be single releases. Track 3, Blow Your Mind is no exception. Its thunderous opening sets the tone of something unstoppable and relentless. The theme of the track is one of determination and standing by your beliefs. The music matches the theme perfectly.
Let The Good Times Roll changes the mood. It’s a bit more of a light-hearted acknowledgement that things may not always be perfect, but there’s always stuff to be positive about. Life might give you the odd curve ball, but with positive energy and the right people around you, anything’s possible. Saint Restraint has a different feel. There’s a bit more contrast between the softly spoken verses and the explosion of sound in the choruses. The moral of this one is self-redemption. The lyrics speak of accepting what’s happened in your past but not letting it define your future. It features my favourite lyric – ‘The stars won’t align; you need to place them yourself’.
…Virtues is a belter. There’s not even a hint of it being a tricky second album…
Next, we have Grindstone. This picks up the tempo really well and the context of the song is easy to determine from the title. It’s all about the hard work that goes into anything worthwhile. There’s a percussive nature to this track that gives it the feel of the constant hammering required to knock down the obstacles to your own success. The Edge is a good old southern rock song. It’s a song about possibility and being prepared to embrace change. It has an almost spiritual feel, particularly in the choruses that have a choral feel to them. The last but one track is the only ballad on the album. Distant Love Affair is beautiful. It’s a departure from the band’s foundations, but it is well executed and serves as another example of the bands development. It’s a recognition that with a growing repertoire and reputation, longer headline sets are going to become more frequent. And with that, there is a need to change mood in order keep an audience engaged and allow them to catch a breath. Above all of that, it’s a stunning song in its own right. If you can, close your eyes and just soak it in. The last track, For You, is a kind of reverential homage to the fact that these guys are in a rock band. It’s about the ride, the camaraderie, the creative process and the thing that makes it all worthwhile – performing and sharing all of that in front of an audience. The final lyric: ‘Did you enjoy the show?’ is a perfect ending.
The answer to that final question is an emphatic ‘Yes. I did enjoy the show’. Virtues is a belter. There’s not even a hint of it being a tricky second album. This the work of band that is very comfortable in its own skin and prepared to push themselves. I haven’t been tapping my feet in respectful admiration, I’ve been fully immersed – head banging, singing along like I’m in the crowd at one of their shows. And I can’t wait to be doing exactly that in a few weeks’ time when the tour comes my way. I absolutely love it.
The Hot One Two are:
Simon West – Vocals
Nick Manners – Guitar
Nick Blackburn – Bass
Joe Chivers – Drums
Track Listing
- The Reaper
- Alive Again
- Blow Your Mind
- Let The Good Times Roll
- Saint Restraint
- Grindstone
- The Edge
- Distant Love Affair
- For You