Sound: Live At Dead Lake is the second studio album from Liverpudlian trio Hot Club de Paris. The songs are of a very similar format to those off the first album, Drop It Til It Pops. Irregular time signatures and simple guitar and bass riffs dominate, and in general work very well. The best song of the album is undoubtedly "Hey! Housebrick", which sees the band experimenting with a slightly poppier sound, and for once, makes use of a 4/4 time signature. Two instrumental tracks, "The Friendship Song" and "We Played Ourselves (Ain't Nobody Else's Fault)" are very disappointing, and don't really add much to the album. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: Hot Club de Paris, like fellow Liverpudlians The Wombats, are known for their "scouse wit", and this shows at times on 'Live At Dead Lake'. In "Call Me Mr Demolition Ball", vocalist Matthew suggests that an unnamed girl could "lie beside me in your troubled sleep, or you could leave me for dead in the bed". The lyrics on "The Dice Just Wasn't Loaded From The Start" are easily the most heartfelt on the album: "Somewhere in the future there's a feeling, that feels just like the night we first held hands." The lyrics of too many songs appear nonsensical though, and the lyrics from songs on their first album seem far superior. // 7
Impression: Though there are some very strong songs nearer to the start of the album ("Call Me Mr Demolition Ball", "I Wasn't Being Heartless When I Said Your Favourite Song Lacked Heart", "Let Go Of Everything", to name a few), Hot Club de Paris struggle to make this form last to the end, and it seems like they begin to run out of ideas. Some may criticise Hot Club de Paris on the basis that this album doesn't really see the band mature, and though many of the songs on this album are a great, enjoyable listen, many seem to be there for the sake of it. Overall, worth your money, but I would definitely recommend buying their first album, Drop It Til It Pops, first. // 7
Was this review helpful to you? 
