Search - Cobra Starship :: Hot Mess

Don't listen to the haters

M. L. Wanamaker | Orlando, FL | 08/17/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Nice Guys Finish Last (6/10)

BAD start to the album. Although dripping with lead singer Gabe's trademark attitude it just comes off as far too Broadway with its West Side Story inspired snapping fingers and annoying back-up singers. This could redeem itself as a potentially hilarious music video at some point but as a stand-alone track it's just kind of annoying. There are parts of this track I do like but they are out-weighed by those that are just unbearable.

Perhaps a toned down remix is in order.



Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We're Famous (8/10)

I would probably be spending a lot more time with this track if not for the fact that it was released months before the album and I had already heard it countless times. Still and excellent track and probably sounds the most like "classic Cobra".



Good Girls Go Bad [feat. Leighton Meester] (5/10)

I HATE HATE HATE this one. This was the first single released off the album which made be fear that the band had completely gone off course. But I'm happy to say this is EASILY the worst on the album. It's shallow and repetitive and probably the perfect "mainstream" hit to put Cobra in the spotlight. Now that this has officially made them the "flavor of the month" let's hope people discover the band's far better offerings. Then we'll just have to dismiss GGGB as a necessary evil.



Fold Your Hands Child [10/10]

THIS IS WHERE IT GETS GOOD, kids. This is the REAL Cobra Starship. Yes it's catchy and full of awesome beats but it also has real depth. This one is clever, moving, and downright beautiful. Slower than the groups usual offerings but a welcome change of pace.



You're Not In On The Joke [9/10]

Like "Nice Guys" this one is full of Gabe's unique persona. But unlike that track, this one is truly awesome.

One of my favorites.



Hot Mess [8/10]

This will likely follow "Good Girls" as the band's next big, mainstream hit. Difference is, this one is actually legitimately deserving of that attention. Though far from the best track, it IS fiendishly catchy and you can't help but like it.



Living In The Sky With Diamonds [8/10]

This one grows on me a little more every time I hear it. The second of a series of slower more introspective tracks on the album. The only thing that keeps it from being rated higher is how easily the next two eclipse it.



Wet Hot American Summer [9/10]

Not what I was expecting from the title. This is actually a really sweet love song. Cobra-style of course.

Another of the best tracks on the album and leading into the very best.



The Scene Is Dead; Long Live The Scene [10/10]

It may be a little too cutesy for some but I personally think this is the stand-out track.

Probably ranks as my second favorite of the band's entire discography actually. I won't go into the multitude of reasons I love this one - just listen to it for yourself. If it doesn't grab you at first I guarantee it will after a few more listens.



Move Like You Gonna Die [8/10]

Gets better every time I hear it. Not crazy about it but a good change of pace after a more somber set of tracks even if they are the best of the album.



The World Will Never Do [7/10]

This is another one that I like better each time I listen but it definitely belong at the end of the album serving as a nice wind-down. Other Cobra tracks have used rap interludes to far better results.



Final Verdict [8/10]

This album is not nearly as bad as some so called "fans" are making it out to be although it does feature more "bad" tracks than Cobra's previous two albums combined. But the bad is out-weighed by the good and topped off with a few that reach a level awesome-ness that reminds me why I love this group so much to begin with even if they are "sell outs". Viva La Cobra."

Truly a 'Hot Mess'

Antoine D. Reid | Durham, NC United States | 08/14/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I like Cobra Starship. The group's music is usually very unique, fun, a fusion of punk, pop with a tinge of hip-hop and r&b. I hate to say it though but I really did not like 'Hot Mess'. Besides one or two tracks, the entire release feels very uninspired. It almost sounds like an entirely different group. When listening to this, I hear less Cobra Starship and more of a Fall Out Boy cd. The first track 'Nice Guys Finish Last' doesn't sound like the group at all, and one would think it was a cut from Fall Out Boy's last release. They even go so far as to have a track titled 'Pete Wentz is the Only Reason We're Famous'. In all, I summed that the main issue with this release is that it sounded as if they made too much of an attempt to be a commercial success and appeal to the main crowd (as with the lead-single 'Good Girls Go Bad') rather than sticking to their alternative roots.



The Bad: The music. There were fewer chances taken on this release than with the first two releases from the group. None of the songs, even after one-or-two listens stands out. To some degree, many of the songs sound alike on many levels. As stated earlier, I hear more Fall Out Boy-influences here and a less of that fun edge that set this group apart. Even the emo-inspired titles of the songs are less creative than they were with the last releases. Overall lacking musically and just outright boring.



The Good: 'Good Girls Go Bad' is a fun song that did, in some respects, remind me of their old songs. A few others, including 'The Scene Is Dead: Long Live the Scene' that sounds very retro and 80s inspired, were worth listening to one or two times.



In all, I was let down by this release. A Cobra Starship album is usually really good, unique and something worth keeping on repeat. But this ... it's just a 'mess' with a lack of inspiration and direction. I'd splurge and go for the deluxe edition which includes a few bonus tracks and remixes rather than buying the standard edition that is very much lacking in material."

Just plain fun!

B. Padilla | Palm Desert, CA | 09/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of the songs are just fun to dance along to, obviously it's different than their past cds, but in a good way. I hope people give this a chance, and not dismiss this band based just on the ery catchy single track.

"