Hot Mess By Cobra Starship

Cobra Starship’s third full-length album “Hot Mess” is just that – a hot mess. It’s jam-packed with every synth overlay known to pop music, so much so that it’s almost cringe-worthy. Yet it somehow remains an absolutely delicious listening experience.

“Nice Guys Finish Last” starts out the record. It has an up-and-down, bouncy beat that carries the tune while the group singing that chants the chorus is a throwback to some dramatic ‘80s pop. This combo creates an interesting back-and-forth rhythm that is excellent for an opening track. Ryland Blackinton throws some electric guitar into the mix to make it a top track.

The next song, “Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We’re Famous,” is a tongue-in-cheek look at the band making their way to the top, while “doing what they gotta do” has some entertaining lyrics, but falls short in the rhythm section making it easy to skip over to the next track.

If you haven’t yet heard the actual song, you’re likely to have at least heard of the first single from this album – “Good Girls Go Bad” featuring Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl. The TV star has surprisingly pleasant vocals and compliments Gabe Saporta’s somewhat monotonous voice very well. Clubs everywhere are sure to be dancing to this song well into the fall.

Other tunes to look out for include “You’re Not In On The Joke,” “Wet Hot American Summer,” and the house-tinged, club-worthy “Living In The Sky With Diamonds.”

You may agree with all the flack that the band got from a recent performance on Conan O’Brien’s Late Show for Saporta’s vocals not being up to scratch, but it’s unlikely that you won’t be dancing around to this record at some point when listening to it, making the music speak for itself. “Hot Mess” is great, and you should listen to it now!