Review: Hilltop Hoods “What A Great Night” CDS/12” (Obese Records)

Major label isht aside, the CD single is a rare commodity in Australian hip hop, with most acts catering to a core fanbase that are going to buy (or download) the album anyway. ARIA, DMA, and J-Award winners Hilltop Hoods are one of the few who can afford the luxury, which is good news for listeners who appreciate remixes and instrumentals, and DJs who can cop the accompanying 12”.

With a rocking, rattling guitar loop, tinkling chorus, and party-hardy theme, “What A Great Night” is an obvious single choice from The Hard Road, even if it’s not one of the best tracks from the album. Suffa’s verses don’t measure up to the previous two singles, and while there’s a concept, it’s not explored on par with, say, “Stopping All Stations”. The remix from Simplex of Terra Firma adds a touch of drama with it’s flute and a brief, ominous switch up at the start of Suffa’s second verse. The thickly layered chorus is almost, but not quite, too busy and the stripped back ‘rock the house’ outro works a treat. With any luck, this is a sign of some forthcoming Terra Firma material. Funkwig & deNorthwode’s loping remix keeps things sparse, extending the intro and adding cuts from DJs Sum 1 and Kansel in the outro. Overall, it’s a safe choice for a radio single, with remixes to satisfy the heads.

Hilltop Hoods on MySpace
Obese Records