Review Text
The World's Hardest Working Telescope and the Violent Birth of Stars, is the much anticipated debut full-length from the ladies of HotChaCha, and follow up to 2008's critically acclaimed EP, Rifle, I knew you when you were just a Pistol, which landed the band in the CMJ top 30 and prompted accolades in numerous print and online publications The full-length finds HotChaCha expanding upon many of the ideas laid out on their debut EP, and adding new instrumentation and sophistication to their arrangements. Consequently, the songs presented here coherently run the gamut from staccato sing-a-longs to slowly building atmospheric explorations. HotChaCha's songs are incredibly danceable and high energy while mostly sliding in under the three-and-a-half minute mark. However, it would be an oversimplification to classify them solely as adherents to the "punk / new wave" formula. What separates HotChaCha from many of their ilk is their ability to create a medium that is both pop and profound, infectious yet informed, and entertaining without being feigned. Maybe this balance comes from the early U2 / Edge meets Nick Zinner (YYYs), reverb-soaked and delicate guitar / keyboard playing of Mandy Aramouni, that is perfectly augmented and embellished by the drumming of Lisa Paulovcin and bass playing of Heather Gmucs. Or perhaps it is the immediacy and multilingual delivery (English, French, Serbian) of Bosnian-born singer, Jovana Batkovic that creates an air of gravity amidst the beating energy. Regardless of origin, the sum total of HotChaCha creates a feeling of cold war urgency that leaves one perceiving that there is cause for both optimism and trepidation amidst the chaos....or maybe this feeling is just a result of being from Cleveland! The World's Hardest Working Telescope and the Violent Birth of Stars, showcases HotChaCha's development since their first o offering in 2008. The band has been touring extensively and the intensity of their live shows is quickly becoming infamous, so keep an eye and ear out if they are coming through your town! Start With . . . # 2: Ticket Away from Prague: Driving keyboards, bass, and drums keep the break-neck pace of this song going. #4: Hookers Deserve a Lifetime Achievement Award: A slow lament gradually builds and delicately gives way to controlled dissonance. The soundtrack of a relationship's end... #8: Bob Has A Better Cow: Amidst the joyful sounds of a sing-a-long chorus, and artfully placed keyboards, Batkovic examines the issue of a Bosnian man's decision to come to the USA.
