Written Before Listen
Illuminati Hotties is a new Indie band that I just heard about. They released a mixtape last year that so happened to get a lot of positive reviews. Same goes with this album here as that is the reason why I decided to review it. Also, I think reviewing something a little more obscure is part of my reviewing duties so here I am. Let’s see how I feel about this.
Vocal Performance
First thing that caught my immediate attention was the outrageous vocal performance of Sarah Tudzin. A lot of her attitude and vocal range is over exaggerated and fun. Right from the opening track, we have a very childlike delivery with talk vocals and over-pronounced syllables. The hook for “Mmmoooaaaaayaya” is just her saying the song title In a very catchy way. On “Joni: LA’s No 1 Health Goth”, Sarah goes full on Johnny Rotten as her punky attitude is taken to its earliest days. Sarah is easily the best aspect of this album and there’s no denying it.
Styles
On a stylistic note, Illuminati Hotties aren’t the most versatile but they are not one trick ponies. The best way to describe this record is Indie Rock. Surely influences of other genres come into play such as the artsy post-punk of “Mmmoooaaaaayaya” and “Joni: LA’s No 1 Health Goth”, or the Slowcore of “Threatening Each Other re:Capatlism” and “Growth”. I will say that their indie rock sound does stick in the middle, but if you’re a fan of the classics, you will enjoy this.
Lyrics
This album might not be the most stylistically versatile, but it is versatile lyrically. With the summer party attitude of “Pool Hoppin”, we get songs like “Threatening Each Other re:Capatlism”, which parallels to the songwriting of Phoebe Bridgers. With “Joni: LA’s No 1 Health Goth”, we dont get the introspection of “Threatening Each Other re:Capatlism” or the innocence of “Pool Hoppin”. Instead we get something could be considered an updated of what the Ramones were writing, we then get something kind of dark and serious right after with “Kickflip” which is about living a dark day every single day, and then we get a 35 second song about toasting a Pop Tart. If you dont get my point already, most of this albums strength is in the songwriting.
Influences
With that being said, a lot of their sound is derivative. Of who you may ask? Depends. The song “Knead” could’ve fit perfectly on a Dinosaur album. “Threatening Each Other re:Capatlism” sonically fits perfectly on a Galaxie 500 album. The song “Cheap Shoes” is their take on an MGMT and “Growth” is like one of those Bill Callahan songs that go on forever but without the introspection or journey. Its hard to admit, but this album doesn’t have that much originality to it.
Cons
Other than not being original, I think this album just doesn’t stand out in comparison to the great indie rock records. What made Indie Rock so admirable is how unprofessional and unique it sounded. I dont think this album has the same amount of standout quality that most indie bands have. As an indie record goes, its kind of middle of the line, but luckily the vocal performance and subject matter makes it an album worth listening to.
Verdict
This album was definitely one that I was happy to listen to. It has a lot of desirable qualities and good songwriting, but do I see myself going back to it? A little.
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