Hot Rod Circuit have been around for quite some time now and probably haven’t gained the kudos they deserve. This is their fifth release now and a steady one at that – not a patch on ‘Sorry About Tomorrow’, but certainly up their with the best of them. The guitar work stands out for me, certainly an album that’s different from many of their previous releases in this sense. The slide and lap steel guitars give this a more midwestern tone than
previously, almost Limbeck-esque in its delivery, making this album different than its predecessors. And at a time when originality and being different is seemingly in short supply, HRC deserve some credit.
The songs on this record flow pretty well; the guitars rock it when needed and the band’s knack for writing a catchy tune or five remains intact. ‘Spit You Out’ and ‘Battleship‘ are great, ‘Stateside’ one of the record’s strongest songs. ‘US Royalties’ is a standout too, even featuring The Starting Line‘s Kenny Vasoli in a non-TSL lite way. Andy Jackson earns his spurs as a vocalist on this record, showing great range – especially compared to the band’s other records – and it’s the way in which none of these songs sound too alike that makes ‘The Underground Is A Dying Breed’ an enjoyable and refreshing listen. It’s not their best album, but it’s a good ‘un nonetheless.