Album Review: Hot Chelle Rae - Whatever
Hot Chelle Rae made their presence known in 2009 with their debut album, "Lovesick Electric". It took more of a rock based direction, but it wasn't until their early 2011 pure pop smash, "Tonight Tonight," that helped their popularity skyrocket. Going double platinum since, the track is featured on Whatever, and exemplifies exactly what the rest of the album contains: pointless lyrics, mediocre electronically produced vocals, and half a**ed musicality; but when it comes to this genre, the "make or break" lies within the record's lasting appeal — how memorable and catchy the hooks are. Well, this album is ALL hooks.
However, even if the songs are insanely catchy, it can only go so far until the glaring flaws become too much to not notice with every listen. Vocalist Ryan Follese has performances that range from sub par to unnecessarily whiny, but for the most part, it fits pretty well. Lyric wise, its all been said and done before, except on "Whatever", it gets a little bit worse ("I heard your friends say I changed, so that's hearsay / They only say that when they're drunk, so that's beer say"). Additionally, the whole "put a rap verse in a pop song" gimmick is probably one of the most obnoxious features in music. It never works — ever. Yet Hot Chelle Rae give it a go three times with features from the artists New Boyz and Bei Maejor ("I Like It Like That", "Whatever", "Radio"). Sure, the random raps might make it "fun" — but the songs are already fun enough by themselves.
Overall, the album will be a wildly popular success because it appeals to the masses of little boys and girls who where neon t-shirts and like to sing the same lyrics over and over again. As a musical success? Meh.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 hearts
Stand Out Track:
"Tonight, Tonight"
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