While
The Routine is wrapped up in the trappings of a major-label release -- with its liners listing out business managers, guitar and drum technicians, and no less than five engineers --
Hotwire's debut full-length manages to avoid most of the after-market tinkering that made disappointing sound-alikes out of their suburban Cali counterparts in
Hoobastank and
Audiovent. Sure,
The Routine channels the same mixture of
Deftones rage and
Incubus yearning. But together with producer
Matt Hyde (
Fu Manchu,
Hatebreed),
Hotwire's Rus Martin (vocals/guitar),
Brian Borg (drums),
Chris Strauser (bass), and
Gabe Garcia (guitar) have made a debut that shows actual promise, instead of simply sticking with what's been proven to work. And in a post-grunge climate with clearly defined boundaries, that counts as a compliment. The post-hardcore one-two punch of "Not Today" and "Invisible" tear open
The Routine with aggressive dynamic shifts and very little filler, while "Nice Profile" works on opening the cut with a fist-pumping chorus that can be forgiven for sounding like the soundtrack to a beer commercial. The ballads of the album's middle suffer, since there is nothing in either Martin's indistinct croon or the band's plodding riffs to separate them from contemporaries like
Chevelle. (That said, "Say What You Want" does include a gorgeous acoustic coda that's a nice break before
The Routine's second half.) Bogged down as it is with a directionless midsection,
Hotwire's debut isn't ultimately as successful as its first half would suggest. But as
The Routine draws to a close, screamers like "Magazine" and the punishing half-time finale to "Neuro Girl" again show
Hotwire's promise and suggest that the high points of its debut aren't just a studio fluke. [This track listing reflects the advance/promo's running order, the actual commercial release may differ.] ~ Johnny Loftus