Hot Leg
Red Light Fever

Here is the first album from Hot Leg, "Red Light Fever". Some might not know them and may consider them just another "little band," but in reality, we are talking about the new project of Justin Hawkins, the former frontman of the famous band The Darkness. I discovered the album almost by chance when, out of curiosity, after learning that the other ex-members of The Darkness had returned as Stone Gods, I searched online to find out what that crazy guy Justin was up to and read about how he had released this new album in February 2009.

Recalling the excellent tracks (and what videos!) from the "past," I immediately listened to the album, thinking (or hoping?) to find a continuation of "Permission To Land" and "One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back," and in part, it was so.

It starts with "Chickens," a lively track with a distinctive chorus that sticks in your mind and an irresistible "quo quo quo" high note... great Justin! "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore", "Ashamed", and the successful hit "I've Met Jesus" complete a fast-paced, fun but not trivial start. "Trojan Guitar" is the most beautiful and original of the album, varied, fun, and "innovative" compared to the style of the other songs. "Cocktails," characterized by an '80s style synthesizer intro, is another really good song, in line with the direction of the album. "Gay In The 80's", "Prima Donna", and "Which Ever Way You Wanna Give It" are 3 nice songs with a good rhythm; they don't represent dips, but neither are they the highest points of the album. Finally, there's "Kissing In The Wind", a beautiful ending with blues tendencies, perhaps the most successful piece after "Trojan Guitar".

Overall, some of the "maturity/calmness" expressed in "One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back" has been somewhat set aside to return to fresher and more immediate songs, and perhaps the only flaw lies precisely in the absence of some ballads in the style of "Love Is Only A Feeling" or "Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time", which might have made the album a bit more varied and interesting in the long run. There might also be a lack of a track capable of truly making a mark, a deficiency replaced by the overall quality of all the tracks, pleasant, with none of them serving merely as fillers. Another positive note, and an important one for me, is the fact that, while they are (obviously!) in the style of The Darkness, the songs did not seem like blatant copies of previous tracks, thus integrating and not repeating what glam rock has recently offered.

In conclusion, there's reason to be satisfied; fans of The Darkness will undoubtedly find excellent new elements in "Red Light Fever," and Justin Hawkins confirms himself as an original and skilled musician, who always manages to give us great songs and really enjoyable performances... Not to mention the gift he gives us every time he allows us to listen to his extraordinary voice, which nowadays is rare if not unique.