The Red Hot Valentines

The Red Hot Valentines’ latest release Summer Fling begs the question: if it’s not played on the radio over and over and over again, is it pop?

Indeed, the Midwestern band’s first full length album with Polyvinyl has all the makings of an infectious virus capable of spreading across the dial to become the soundtrack to summer 2003. From the first track, “Wait for Summer,” RHV inspires visions of jumping into a convertible, picking up some friends and heading to the beach. Between the power synth and catchy guitar riffs, it’s hard not to get caught up in what RHV is doing; namely punk-inspired pop music being played without shame. RHV isn’t doing anything vastly different from bands like Jimmy Eat World or The Get Up Kids but tracks like “Pocket Full of Secrets,” “Christine” and “One Last Kiss” do showcase RHV’s talent of stripping the ego out of pop and replacing it with a combination of teenage angst and garage band ethos. Even the CD packaging pays homage to the days of locker lined hallways and rampant insecurity, with its liner notes hand written on blue-lined paper complete with doodles (the rendering of left behind lipstick from freshly puckered lips throws it over the top in the best design category).

The fact that Jeff Johnson (lead vocals and guitar), Tobin Kirk (vocals and guitar), David Gerkin (Bass), Tyson Markley (keyboard) and Eric Humbert (Drums), aren’t in high school (they met in college) makes it even better.

Listen now before Summer Fling’s innocent fun is pillaged by the monsters of radio.

---