Remember Gal Gadot and co.’s ‘Imagine’ cover? This is an angrier performance that is almost as fruitless. Where Gal was spitting venom at the coronavirus, Warmduscher suggest that a seedy nightlife is the antidote to daily life. It’s a fun idea. ‘At the Hotspot’ seeks to evoke the seduction of dive bars but instead embodies beer-soaked carpets and obnoxious friends of friends. These are the guys you don’t want to be sat near. Funk-punk isn’t a bad vessel: it has an aged sleaze that lends itself to their intentions. However, beyond a couple highlights, this record is routinely undermined by confused instrumentals and insincere, town crier vocals.
15/30
A favourite: ‘Super Cool’
‘At the Hotspot’ is out now via Bella Union.