This is a review of "Fight Night" recorded by Hoover Dams. The review was written by Kevin Richardson in 2008.

Having been around since 2005 and being quite big on the Bradford scene, Hoover Dams were a band I’d heard of, but this was my first time hearing their music. And when the first song ‘Sent From Hell’ kicked in, I was quite impressed. A lot of the times when listening to EPs from up and coming bands, they can sound overproduced and the sound is lost in the mixing, but Hoover Dams adopt a very lo-fi approach and the resulting sound is very grungy. ‘Sent From Hell’ sounds like an early Kings Of Leon track. Catchy guitar riffs and duelling vocals are held together by the drums, which are relentless, and the first song is an absolute blast.

‘Fight Night’ continues this relentlessness, with the vocals standing out, almost shouting. There’s almost a feel of carelessness about the track, which adds to the lo-fi effect, although don’t mistake this for me saying the sound is lazy. It takes real skill to create this kind of sound and ‘Fight Night’ is 1:47 of sheer exhilaration. Very old school sound that feels like it’s being played right in front of you as you listen to it.

‘Pontious Pilate’ starts somewhat surprisingly with what sounds like an organ. And it really adds a lot to the sound throughout the song. This song is a lot calmer and there doesn’t seem the same desire to rush through the song, as with the previous two, and it has a much wider sound. It’s now dawning on me who they sound like: the lo-fi sound can be compared to the Black Lips. The vocals also sound very similar to Black Lips, particularly in this song and it is good to hear something different like this.

Final song ‘I Live On The Sun’ expands further on the more expansive sound of the last song. The vocals are punchy again, with haunting vocals and keyboards underneath, and this song really takes its time to build up the atmosphere. Very atmospheric but retaining the lo-fi sound that made the first couple of tracks so successful. All four tracks sound as if they were made to be played live in front of packed crowds, but they do make the recorded transition very well and don’t seem to lose any of the edge which can so often happen. If you like it lo-fi and dirty, you’ll find a lot to enjoy with Hoover Dams.