Search - Cobra Starship :: Hot Mess

Truly a 'Hot Mess'

Antoine D. Reid | Durham, NC United States | 08/14/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I like Cobra Starship. The group's music is usually very unique, fun, a fusion of punk, pop with a tinge of hip-hop and r&b. I hate to say it though but I really did not like 'Hot Mess'. Besides one or two tracks, the entire release feels very uninspired. It almost sounds like an entirely different group. When listening to this, I hear less Cobra Starship and more of a Fall Out Boy cd. The first track 'Nice Guys Finish Last' doesn't sound like the group at all, and one would think it was a cut from Fall Out Boy's last release. They even go so far as to have a track titled 'Pete Wentz is the Only Reason We're Famous'. In all, I summed that the main issue with this release is that it sounded as if they made too much of an attempt to be a commercial success and appeal to the main crowd (as with the lead-single 'Good Girls Go Bad') rather than sticking to their alternative roots.



The Bad: The music. There were fewer chances taken on this release than with the first two releases from the group. None of the songs, even after one-or-two listens stands out. To some degree, many of the songs sound alike on many levels. As stated earlier, I hear more Fall Out Boy-influences here and a less of that fun edge that set this group apart. Even the emo-inspired titles of the songs are less creative than they were with the last releases. Overall lacking musically and just outright boring.



The Good: 'Good Girls Go Bad' is a fun song that did, in some respects, remind me of their old songs. A few others, including 'The Scene Is Dead: Long Live the Scene' that sounds very retro and 80s inspired, were worth listening to one or two times.



In all, I was let down by this release. A Cobra Starship album is usually really good, unique and something worth keeping on repeat. But this ... it's just a 'mess' with a lack of inspiration and direction. I'd splurge and go for the deluxe edition which includes a few bonus tracks and remixes rather than buying the standard edition that is very much lacking in material."