Hott 22 :: "Something Real"
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Review by Terry Matthew | Published January 2008 | Review Archives

Freddie Bain turned me on to Hott 22 back in this magazine's early beginnings and I've been a fan ever since. When I hear this, I think "New York" - and I can't even tell you why. The rhythm tracks they put together are pristine - it's a touch of disco but never sounds dated, almost like they grabbed the Philly International rhythm section and updated their sound. The vocals are of the smokey diva variety, and it's not quite verse-chorus-verse but used as an instrument in the manner that jazz singers do. But what always sticks out to me about these guys is the big room energy of their tracks - never commercial, never falling into any genre other than driving, heart-fluttering House.