I've been waiting to tell you about this album for quite some time and Rehab Rock has finally been released. Ottawa's Hot Mud recorded this whilst in addiction recovery and although you might think the subject a tad morose, it is more of a celebration of achievement.
Residing somewhere between Indie and Slacker Rock, it is incredibly inventive. It may be lo-fi as any one man project can be, but it encompasses influences from Classic Rock to Psych and delivered in a vocal style that is not a million miles away from the likes of Lou Reed.
Indeed Chain Me Down has a funk of say 80s Prince, it is an incredibly addictive song across approaching five minutes. Mistaken Point goes one step further at over 60 minutes and is a sort of breakout from what goes before delivered vocally with a croon with a jauntier riff and Psych ventures instrumentally.
Lost In The Wind is a cracking slab of Fuzz, almost Darkwave, but with a chipper keyboard run. It is personally my favourite thing on the album with how it mixes Psych with 80s riffs. Disappear could even be something on a Peaky Blinders soundtrack, very Nick Cave.
Self Destruct is great 60s Garage Rock, yet Where The Bad Kids Go starts all early Roxy Music instrumentally, but vocally, it is far more streetwise than Art School. Learning To Love starts all happy clap, particularly the drum beat and the 80s synth riff.
Rehab Rock is not going to get you singing along, but neither is it a Woe Is Me memoir. It is largely the story of one man's determination to cut out the bad to be able to celebrate the good. It is incredibly interesting and entirely consuming. You come away thinking wow that was great.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
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