https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LjJoXtoO64 While 2004's Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned may not be a highlight for fans of the group it did still produce some gems (some of which are underrated quite frankly) like the mystical, propulsive 'Spitfire' or album highlight, the wonderful stutter-fest 'Memphis Bells' - both of which highlight how inventive the group can still be even when not at the top of their game. The same goes for 'Hotride. It hits the ground running and doesn't stop with its creeping spy like guitar refrain and fluttering snyth flourishes propped up by a direct, pounding drum beat, creating a track bustling with attitude. Juliette Lewis provides vocals for the freewheeling track, giving the best vocal performance of the album with her soft spoken but dangerous verse sections before launching the song into a wall for the riff-tastic chorus with infectious screams of "Gimme a ride!" and "Push it!". The song has plenty of ideas but sometimes fails to properly execute them at times like the bridge sections and the breakdown which take some of the life out of the song because of their failure to add anything new. It could also be argued that the track becomes somewhat repetitive too, both lyrically and musically. Despite this, Hotride is a rip roaring foray into the unknown which hits more high points than low points because of its insatiable drive.
Music Journalism graduate and freelance writer from Northern Ireland, who enjoys scouring the music archives for the best sounds from the past and present. Writer for the awesome publications WhatCulture, Metal Injection, Scribol, The Gamer, and Prefix.