Cobra Starship - Hot Mess Review

Posted by Rob Fierro on 08.13.2009

Cobra Starship draws from their pop-punk roots and adds in a healthy serving of hip-hop and electronica to produce an album that exemplifies their particular brand of “party-pop.”



Lineup
Gabe Saporta- vocals
Alex Suarez- bass, synthesizer
Ryland Blackinton- lead guitar, synthesizer
Victoria Asher- keytar
Nate Navarro- drums/percussion

Tracks
"Nice Guys Finish Last"  
"Pete Wentz Is the Only Reason We're Famous"  
"Good Girls Go Bad" (featuring Leighton Meester)
"Fold Your Hands Child"  
"You're Not in on the Joke"
"Hot Mess"  
"Living in the Sky with Diamonds"  
"Wet Hot American Summer"  
"The Scene Is Dead; Long Live the Scene"  
"Move Like You Gonna Die"  
"The World Will Never Do"

“[After vocal cord surgery to remove a cyst] Gabe had a lot of time to think. He thought the band could benefit if they had some time to think too. So in January 2009, Cobra isolated themselves in a house in the Poconos, hooked up a web cam so fans could watch them waste valuable time, and spent several weeks working on new songs. Success.”- from the band’s official biography on their website.

After laying down these tracks in that cabin somewhere in Pennsylvania, synthpop ensemble Cobra Starship returns with their third full-length offering Hot Mess. (Don’t worry, Saporta is doing well). Songwriter Saporta has extensively collaborated with the likes of American Idol’s Kara Dioguardi, producers Kevin Rundolf, S*A*M*, and of course, good friend Patrick Stump (his influence is all over the the record). Additionally, Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester is featured on the single, “Good Girls Go Bad.” Cobra Starship draws from their pop-punk roots and adds in a healthy serving of hip-hop and electronica to produce an album that exemplifies their particular brand of “party-pop.” Hot Mess is a fun, catchy album that as MTV’s James Montgomery writes, “definitely a leap forward for the band. It's smart and funny and fun.”

Saporta wastes no time getting the party started(this is Cobra Starship, after all). “Nice Guys Finish Last” is a track that utilizes sound effects and electronically produced beats to accompany Saporta’s prominent vocals. Female vocalists, including Victoria Asher, also back up Saporta and produce a sort of multi-person “duet”. It seems as if Saporta is talking to these females that as he sings, “I need help girls/I need help now/So bad/So good.” Blackinton also shows off his fine guitar play by soloing over the bridge. “Pete Wentz is the Only Reason We’re Famous” plays like a straight pop-rock song with the usual accompaniment. Navarro’s acoustic and electronic percussion also adds to the signature sound of the band. “Good Girls Go Bad” is the first song most people heard from Cobra Starship’s newest record. This single, more along the lines of a straight pop song, features Leighton Meester to produce another Cobra Starship-branded duet. Vocal effects are used extensively on both Saporta and Meester’s singing and Navarro’s electronic percussion, again, brings the track together. At one point in the track, the structure devolves into what sounds very much like a cheer from a high school sporting event.



“Fold Your Hands Child” is another pop-centered offering. This track marks the use of less extravagant effects. Saporta’s vocals drive the track and the band provides their usual backup vocals. At times, the track is slow and introspective and Blackinton’s provides guitar accompaniment towards the end. “You’re Not In On The Joke” opens with Asher providing prominent keytar accompaniment. Sound effects are utilized to produce beats and provide bass-backing. On this very vocal-driven track, Saporta’s singing is reminiscent of Motion City Sountrack’s Justin Pierre.

The title track for the album, “Hot Mess” continues the line of vocal-driven, heavy pop songs that make extensive use of electronic experimentation. The next two tracks “Living In the Sky With Diamonds” and “Wet Hot American Summer” mark a movement towards more traditional pop/dance offerings. The electronic instrumentation is still vital to these tracks, as they produce a driving force of the track, along with Saporta’s vocals. “Wet Hot American Summer” utilizes such effects to create a very interesting and catchy electronic hook.

“The Scene is Dead; Love Live The Scene” makes use of a slow, subdued opening. the usual computer generated beats are present. This track opens up and becomes faster as it progresses. Navarro contributes with acoustic drum play at points in the track. “Move Like You’re Gonna Die Soon” is a pop-rock song that displays clear Fallout Boy influences. The track opens with a heavy guitar intro that Navarro carries into the closing moments of the track. Hot Mess closes out with “The World Will Never Do” is a track that opens with interesting electronic instrumentation that continues throughout the track. This track features heavy hip-hop tendencies (it features up and coming hip-hop musician B.o.B.) and heavy bass is utilized to create beats.

Cobra Starship is famous for their own brand of fun, catchy pop-rock. While they don’t always get the credit they deserve, often being called a “joke-band,” they do what they do well and have many rabid and loyal fans. Their tracks are very, very danceable and feature a lot of different and interesting experimentation, instrumentation, and collaboration. They bring different sounds together to create a solid addition to the increasingly popular alternative dance-pop genre.

The 411: There's a lot of good in this album; most of it is concentrated in the beginning and middle of Hot Mess. I had heard of Cobra Starship before, but never really gave them a real listen, outside of a few tracks. This album is fun and at times, I really found myself digging their sound. For fans, this album is essential, as it seems like they try to craft a different sound than in their previous releases. For those of you, like me, that never gave 'em a shot before, it's worth your time. Plus, they have a cute chick in Victoria Asher play the keytar, works for me.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]