The Underground is a Dying Breed is a surprising comeback for Hot Rod Circuit. It appeared that even diehard fans were left disappointed with 2004's Reality's Coming Through. The album's blandness was an especially hard blow considering that their 2002 Vagrant Records debut, Sorry About Tomorrow, was on par with their much-loved Triple Crown Records material. Hot Rod Circuit had avoided the curse of a songwriting lull that often plagues bands once they jump to a larger label and many saw them poised to break out big given Vagrant's growth at the time. But no amount of label funding could change the fact that their songwriting glory days appeared to be over. Some predicted the band would call it quits, but instead they took over a year off and returned with the logical follow-up to Sorry About Tomorrow.
The time off clearly rekindled their passion, because The Underground is a Dying Breed is a return to everything that made Hot Rod Circuit great to begin with: "Spacey" Casey's twangy guitar riffs are plentiful, Andy Jackson's lyrics about girls and weed are heartfelt and fun again, and the overall tone of the record feels like they genuinely needed to write these songs whereas their previous effort felt crafted to garner mainstream success. The opening tracks "Stateside," "Vampire," and "Battleship" are reminiscent of earlier Hot Rod Circuit material, but are unique enough that they don't feel repetitive. Hot Rod Circuit is one of the rare breeds of bands that are capable of writing songs that remain true to their core sound, yet don't sound like they continually write the same album. All twelve tracks are engaging and catchy, and anyone who enjoys their pre-Reality's Coming Through material should be satisfied.
"What We Believe In" is most symbolic of their return to form; it opens with the words "I am so high" and features a chorus that declares, "We gotta go with what we're feeling, with what we believe in." Hot Rod Circuit has always been at their best when they are writing songs that capture the joy of spending time with friends, smoking weed, hanging out with a girl or some combination of the three and this track captures that vibe much like the fan-favorite "Radio Song."
The Underground is a Dying Breed is definitely worth picking up. The album serves as a fine introduction for newer fans and rewards longtime fans that hoped Reality's Coming Through was a one-time blunder. Hopefully Immortal will provide this album with the support it deserves.
