Behind the Finnish band, THE HOT BABE LOVERS, is the musical multi-talent with Brazilian roots, one-man-band. This artist sings, as well as plays guitar, bass, drums, and also produces his songs. The latest album from THE HOT BABE LOVERS, “Midnight Sessions,” was released on June 9th, 2020. The aforementioned musician claims to be a fan of old horror movies from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s; the album name, “Midnight Sessions,” is a reference to the alternative cinemas, in which low-budget and bizarre films were shown in so-called Midnight Sessions in the cinemas.
The album is very reminiscent of ‘90s punk rock with a grunge influence – loud, strong, and fast. The first song on the album, “Summerskewl,” takes me straight back to the ‘90s and early ‘00s, as the melody and guitar sound remind me a bit of THE OFFSPRING and PEARL JAM. “Sally’s Doomed Day” is a bit rougher and harder. Right at the beginning, the song starts with a guitar solo as its intro and continues to score with a strong and solid chorus. Oh yeah, the singer shows that he can shout here too. one-man-band’s voice comes into its own with the song “Set Your Style.” The pitch of his voice is deep, powerful, and has something of Eddie Vedder in it. The vocal lines are difficult to sing, but the all-rounder from THE HOT BABE LOVERS manages it without any problems and hits every note. The song “Sorority Screw Ups” has a catchy tune and the drums and bass merge into a wonderful composition. “Freaks After Me” and “How Fast Could You Run”? are a bit heavier songs, but also very melodic. They spread a bit of a creepy atmosphere around, parceled with well-thought-out guitar lines. In “How Fast Could You Run”? the powerful voice of the singer is again well expressed, along with some reggae-like elements. The last song is called “Babes And Blood” and rounds off the album nicely revisiting all the album’s energy again. This song could easily serve as the closing song of a movie.
I find what THE HOT BABE LOVERS are doing here to be quite fascinating. “Midnight Session” is well done and artistically well-thought-out. Anyone who plays and sings all the instruments themselves deserves a great deal of respect. You can hear a variety of different musical influences here, such as punk rock, stoner rock, and alternative. The album is a kind of musical marathon, with faster and slower songs, but it doesn’t blast too hard and run out of air. There are different moods to be found and, when you get to the end of the album, you’ll likely find yourself happy with the result and looking forward to hearing it again. How fast could you run?
Written by Anna-Lena Horn
Tracklist
- Summerskewl
- Sally’s Doomed Day
- Freaks After Me
- Sorority Screw Ups
- How Fast Could You Run?
- Babes And Blood
Lineup
One-man band – singer, guitarist, drummer, bassist and producer
Label
Independent
