Illuminati Hotties - FREE I.H This Is Not the One You’ve Been Waiting For Review
The riffs, sugary vocal melodies, and unique experimentation really make for a great listening experience.
This is the first album I’ve heard from Illuminati Hotties and it is their sophomore release. Formed in 2017, their second project came about after leaking in early July. What we’re left with, fortunately, isn’t the kind of half-baked content to come out of some other music leaks in the past few years. There’s an obvious energy in all of these tracks that is so infectious and really complements Illuminati Hotties’ existing discography with more of their approachable and engaging sound.
The opening track ‘will i get cancelled if i write a song called, "if you were a man you'd be so cancelled"’ sets the tone for the record. Delivering grunge-y riffs and explosive vocals that pave the path the listener is about to head down. The second track on the record ‘free ppls’ has a simple repetitive riff but there’s something about the energy in this track that’s so raw and fun, without sounding like it’s imitating something. Like a lot of songs on this record there’s a real head-banging motion that comes with this track. The way it ends in an almost apocalyptic guitar stab repetition only amplifies this. The following track ‘freequent letdown’ is such a sugary pop song. It reminds me a bit of early Best Coast records. Something about the vocal melody on this track is catchy in a way where you can’t help but sing along to the almost contradictory ‘I’m always letting everyone know I’m down’. I love the play on words they use in the lyrics.
‘melatonezone’ is one which stood out to me on my first listen of this record. The weird and wonderful wonky guitars that intertwine with one another are a major highlight of the track. Additionally, the guitar solo in the middle of this song is so exciting with its squeaking improvisations. I love the grungy chorus on this track and the vocal melodies that follow the infectious nature of its predecessors. ‘WATTBL’ is another track on the grungier end of the spectrum with its thick guitar tones and heavy distortion. Illuminati Hotties’ sweet vocals turn explosive towards the end of the song, almost screaming. With ‘free dumb’ this song is such an anthem that you can imagine this being used at the end of a movie or maybe at the end of an episode of Mr Robot or some similarly profound high-budget television. Towards the end it feels a bit underwritten as the steady lyrics at the start are replaced with ‘ooo’s, although I do appreciate the fuzzy guitar tones that buzz in your ears and the powerful crescendo towards the end that fades to silence.
The next track ‘content/bedtime’ takes this silence and creates a new atmosphere, a much darker one. Droning guitars and bass build and progress into a thumping beat that disperses and builds into a much thicker and faster pace. By the time Illuminati Hotties start singing the moody vibe is vanquished, replaced with a similar wonky guitar vibe to earlier track ‘melatonezone’. This fun atmosphere works surprisingly well with the gothic undertones in the track. As it progresses, the artists chant their vocals with an excellent style of call and response between the singers. Something about this track feels poorly arranged, however, as you feel like you want more by the end of the track and the best is yet to come before it abruptly screeches to a halt.
‘free4all’ is the next track and without a doubt one of the most intense on the record. How they can go from twee indie to borderline horror movie soundtrack is beyond me but this track unfortunately ends up being one of the weaker on the record, feeling somewhat out of place. ‘b yr own b’ is a return to form to the start of the record. Something about the guitar instrumentation here reminds me of The Strokes. The track definitely could be a Strokes cover song in terms of energy and style; though I would just as easily assume this track would be popular with Clairo fans. This song has a greater emotive depth that the previous tracks lacked. Where the others felt more pissed off or just plain silly, this feels more actively depressing with its lyrics. This bitterness translates directly in the lyrics “If you're fine then I'm fine too”.
‘K – HOT AM 818’ is the shortest track on the album and less of a track and more of an advert? Illuminati Hotties give a cute little ‘So hang on to your masters, folks, and keep it locked to K-HOT AM 818! Shred on!’ This track actually works well in the context of the album, filling a niche reminiscent of the better skits of mid-2000s hip hop. ‘superiority complex (big noise)’ returns the ferocious punk energy that runs throughout the record. There’s something so infectious about the guitar riffs that make this song work. ‘reasons 2 live’ is honestly bautiful. They’ve ended the album on a really high note with this track and for an album with such diversity it’s a pleasant surprise to end on such a sweet note. The lazy acoustic guitar strums and borderline ASMR vocal delivery is so saccharine that, when the tracks end, you’re left with a lingering question of ‘What did I just listen to?
This album is really unique and strong in many ways. The fun that’s been had on this record is incredibly apparent throughout. The riffs, sugary vocal melodies, and unique experimentation really make for a great listening experience. Illuminati Hotties only let themselves down when they’re taking unnecessary instrumental detours like ‘free 4 all’ (although I did enjoy ‘K – HOT AM 818’). The bulk of this album is fun and experimental indie pop that shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone who’s a fan of Haim, Clairo, Best Coast, or The Strokes. This album was a pleasant surprise as I hadn’t heard of them before this release and it will be nice to hear their next project as I feel like if they were to refine these sounds and release something a bit more professional (in a commercial sense) then there’s no telling how much they could grow.
