The Hotwalls are now... and then.  While not retro spawn, their power-pop attack nonetheless loads the single-coil ammo of the British Invasion into an American AM-radio pop-gun, firing a suction-cup dart that’ll stick right between your ears.  Their eponymous recording debut sounds a bit like Alex Chilton and the Kaiser Chiefs shooting pool with Pete Townsend and Dave Davies as they groove on the Nuggets boxed set.

These guys demonstrably have a load of smart, high-energy fun.  Their boisterous live shows are fueled by Gabe Doman’s propulsive trap-set groove and Oliver Calhoun’s riff-happy guitar swirls.  This record picks up where the live show leaves off, with vocalist Ryan Milligan’s lush tenor soaring gracefully, punctuating eight rock-solid gems.  Milligan’s post-modern poetry and inventive melodies make these songs endlessly satisfying and worthy of repeated listening.

Stand out tracks include the opener, “Broken Windows,” with its clanging, syncopated riff setting the stage for the rest of the record. “Mechanical” picks up the angular motif, while now-former bassist Bill Zech channels John Entwistle and Gabe Doman echoes Keith Moon.  These tunes sit comfortably in a playlist alongside the likes of the Strokes, Squeeze, Arctic Monkeys, XTC, Big Star, Kaiser Chiefs, and the Knack (yeah, I said that).

Savor this collection now and look forward to their next offering.  Hopefully some indie success will afford a beefier production budget for the next effort.  Pay attention - these cats have something to say.  Are you listening, mobsters?  Yeah, I betchu are.
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