Album Review Warmduscher - At The Hotspot

Those familiar with Warmduscher’s three studio albums to date might be filled with apprehension at the notion of them making a “lockdown record.” After all, so awash with different ideas were the likes of ‘Khaki Tears’, ‘Whale City’ and particularly 2019’s ‘Tainted Lunch’ that the concept of the Londoners stuck at home with nothing else to do but ruminate on music might be a recipe for disaster - it might actually be possible that Warmduscher would truly go off of the deep end. Instead, they’ve produced their most diverse and vibrant set of songs to date. Intriguingly, the pandemic affected the album in more ways than one; prolific psych producer Dan Carey, who was behind the desk on all three Warmduscher albums so far, was due to return for ‘At the Hotspot’, but contracted COVID-19 just before the recording process was set to begin. Instead, the band drafted in the similarly heavyweight duo of Al Doyle and Joe Goddard from Hot Chip, which may explain the record’s proclivity for extended jams and the interpolation of dancier rhythms than ever before; ‘Twitchin’ in the Kitchen’ is something close to a disco stomper, while ‘Five Star Rated’ is all groove. At the heart of ‘At the Hotspot’, though, is a reminder that for all of their eccentricities, Warmduscher remain a tight garage-rock outfit - just one that isn’t afraid to wander down some stylistic rabbit holes.