bar italia don't stop: their third album in 18 months, 'Some Like It Hot' is a triumph. It has the handmade, textured quality that's always been there, but sharper and more layered this time. It feels alive and full of personality; the sort of record that's as fun to play as it is to hear.
'Fundraiser' bursts out swinging, all angular tics and wiry riffs, recalling the days when bands like Dogs Die In Hot Cars briefly ruled student discos. It's a strong opening; hooky and immediate. 'Marble Arch' nods towards an almost cabaret jangle, handled in a way that's inarguably fresh, while 'Cowbella' is a twitchy, nervy highlight.
The record knows how to be playful. 'I Make My Own Dust' is knowingly silly but all the better for it, while 'Rooster' is so good it should make half the UK's guitar bands pack up and go home.
Even when the mood shifts, the album holds together. 'The Lady Vanishes' and 'Lioness' are more subdued, but they keep that same tension and detail. The closing run, from the chaotic 'omni shambles' to the title-track, feels like a band hitting their stride rather than winding down.
What bar italia are doing here isn't retro dress-up, and it isn't nostalgia. They're pulling from indie and post-punk, and bending it into shapes that feel smart and totally current.
Not just a great band making their best record yet, but one reminding everyone else how it should be done.
