Caution

True to it’s title, Caution immediately demands the listener’s undivided attention. With a unique blend of heartfelt punk, guttural rock, and explorative neo-hardcore, Hot Water Music shirks categorization on Caution. Immediate and infectious on “Trusty Chords,” a feral rocker that works off a pop blueprint, the band emphasizes variety as it glides into the rhythm-steeped “One Step To Slip” and the cathartic “I Was On A Mountain.” Further demonstrating HWM’s depth, Caution sees the band careen from the circle-pit stylings of “Wayfarer” to the subtle yet frenetic underpinning of “Alright For Now” with artful management. “We’ve never tried to be anything but what we are,” say’s bassist Jason Black. “Musically, we’ve never wanted to define ourselves at all.” And in keeping with that assessment, the Gainesville, Florida foursome differs from virtually every other band making punk-inspired sounds in 2002. On Caution — the group’s second disc for Epitaph — HWM drives home the point that music should be more about substance and skill and less about red hair dye.