Bully’s 2020 release Sugaregg was raucous; wild; raw. But their brand new fourth studio album Lucky For You, released June 2nd on Sub Pop, is a little mellower; subtler. The band’s mastermind, Alicia Bognanno, still has a lot to say, though—maybe more than she ever has before.
There’s a lot of 90s grunge influence in Bully’s previous album, but this one seems to be a marriage between that and a more 2010s pop sound. The instrumental behind the first track, “All I Do,” is almost Best Coast-y, ethereal and upbeat in a way that you’re almost shocked to hear Bognanno’s (awesome) raspy vocals cut into the indie pop twang. It works, though—not too much dirt nor too clean, it’s a uniquely wonderful concoction.
“Days Move Slow,” the album’s lead single, is a tribute to Bognanno’s dog, Mezzi, who passed away shortly before this song was written. “I was a stranger to the level of love I now know exists because of Mezzi,” Bognanno said when the single was released in March, “Love you forever; I’m lucky for you.” It’s almost universal, that feeling (my friend’s beloved snake, Lemon, just passed the other day), but still impossibly personal. This track takes that cleaner pop vibe up a notch, still garbled and loud but something more melodic and soft about it, some “oohs” in the beginning that remind me of indie pop Canadians Alvvays. Bognanno doesn’t scream here, but you can hear her emotion and you can hear her grief even over that inexplicably upbeat rhythm.
You know when you are thinking too fast, but it’s all about the same thing? The days do move slow, and Bognanno seems stuck in her grief, unable to stop reflecting on it but for fleeting moments: “Sometimes when I zone out at night / I’ll forget you’re outta sight / like living before you were gone.” I know Bognanno’s voice always has that scratch to it, but this time it feels like someone who’s just finished crying. And those definitive chants in the verse (to me they call to mind Courtney Barnett’s “Pedestrian at Best”) almost sound like she’s angry at herself for wallowing in her grief, like if she was a little stronger she could make it go away: “Something’s gotta change, I know!”
My personal favorite track is “Hard to Love.” It’s teasing us, really: it builds and builds, and we expect a big, loud, grungey chorus like in Sugaregg’s “Let You” (among others), but we’re met with silence instead. Which makes it so much more satisfying when that release finally comes: “Hard to Love!” Bognanno belts in that signature rasp. She goes against instinct here, that first chorus even just a little too short, a little too little, so that it keeps us wanting more. It’s impressive, breaking the rules in the way only a master of her craft (with a decade and four albums of practice) can do it. This one’s pretty self-deprecating, too, like Bognanno’s still mad at herself for being the way that she is. But aren’t we all, at ourselves? “I can’t trust anyone,” she sings, “No matter how far they’d run / I’ll find a way to make you lie.”
Bognanno really shows off the masterful control she has over her voice on this release. It’s not always throaty grunge; she can do whatever the hell she wants. That pop vibe sort of grows as you get deeper into the album, with the slow and melodic “A Wonderful Life” (which sports a harmonica! How cool is that?) and the thoughtful, soft “Change Your Mind.” There’s something deeply personal and sometimes shameful in these tunes that simply can’t be screeched: “After all it’s unattractive for me to burden you with shame.” “How Will I Know” is like that, too, and she’s stuck again, thinking too much—this time about her own choices: “Gotta get out of my head / find something else to do / ‘cause there’s no point obsessing over what I would have changed.”
“A Love Profound” is the most experimental of the tracks, with garbled lo-fi spoken-word, and an off, eerie break in the music. Even the title is a little strange and poetic, romantic (the genre and the era). “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, trying to find you in places I would never think to see,” she speaks in the beginning, and you wonder where it’s going. But Bognanno can put alt-pop vocals over anything and it’ll sound good. Her voice, her lyrics, her skill as a songwriter is just that honed.
Sophie Allison of Soccer Mommy joins in on “Lose You,” and talk about 90s inspo: just call them Nina and Louise, ‘cause this one instantly invoked Veruca Salt for me. The little squeal of feedback and the angry-but-righteous minor chords on the chorus—it’s 90s NEWstalgia, like 90s nostalgia but, y’know, new—not like all the rest, somehow. Maybe that’s what happens when you get two of the coolest names in modern indie rock to do a song together. And Bognanno still can’t stop thinking: “The shades of blue that remind me of you are everywhere.” It really does start to feel like we’re inside her head, and there’s a lot going on in there—I guess that’s where all these songs come from.
“Ms. America” seems tragic in its soft, elegant intimacy. And it is tragic, but this song is political, not intimate: “Ms. America’s been calling / she’s been waiting on the line / wondering how you could respect her and then take her back in time.” This track feels like mourning, like something else has been lost. Once again, Bognanno’s frozen in that despair: “It’s hard when tragedy falls / to watch the world keep moving on.” With the context of ‘America’, you can pick out any one of these lyrics and understand exactly what it means: “If you’re heading towards the dream / what’s another hit and run?” It’s quiet, almost desolate, with no drums—the speaker seems really alone. But she’s not ’cause we’re all feeling the same way, aren’t we?
And of course I positively love “All This Noise.” A full 180 from the track before it in terms of energy, but it’s just the angrier side of that coin. If “Ms. America” was lonely and sad, this one is down. right. FURIOUS. “Ms. America” feels defeated and hopeless, but “All This Noise” is ready to fight. And where “Ms. America” is all dreamy metaphors, this one is literal and bare: “There’s an AR-15 in your house. It’s got one job to do / it’s quickly kill as many things that you want it to!” This track is true punk rock, like the bread on the other side of this album’s sandwich as we swing back into messy, rageful 90s shit. When that chorus hits, I’m ready to bellow “I’m tired of waiting!” along with her from the rooftops. Can this be our anthem for the revolution?
What more can I say? Alicia Bognanno knows what she’s doing: from bright, delicate indie-pop to impassioned, dirty grunge, plus everything in between and also whatever the heck else she wants. Do yourself a favor and give Lucky For You a listen ASAP and catch Bully on their US tour right now.
Lucky For Youwas released on June 2nd via Sub Pop and is available on Bandcamp and on all major streamers.
Silver Volt can be described as “music I don’t understand made up of sounds I absolutely love.” Lyrically sparse and sonically dense, the math/post-rock duo made up of Alex Woods (guitar) and Scott Balles (drums) spent the dark days of the pandemic really digging into the layers and scoring the complex arrangements of their debut EP.
At times majestically meticulous, while other times raw, gnarly and gross, the band worked in the studio with producer Chris Gilroy, where they really refined their sound, filling the sonic spectrum with live-loops, drum triggers, vocals, and effects pedals. Lead single “Ice Cream Man” probably veers closest to pop sensibility with a dope vocal line and sounds like a rad 8-bit Nintendo short-out just before you beat the boss.
But it’s the pile-driving ripper “Hot Shave” with its berserk overblown guitar riffs catching each and every crack of the drum snare, and the drunken fuzz stagger of “Perky Pat” that really grabbed my ear. Woods and Gilroy share a unique musical language of strange sounds, odd blips, and metallic clinks, and having played together in the equally mathy Reindeer Castle project, this is truly a product of couple of sound masters at work in the elements of their craft. I may not understand it, and definitely can’t count out the time signatures, but this old punk gives it two thumbs and four devil horns up.
Silver Volt is out now and available via Bandcamp and all major streamers.
Upon first bite, the barrage of percussive onslaught devouring itself from both ends of a sweet tooth, experimental noise-prog nerd punk duo, Gorgeous has a brand new record, and it’s sticky and gunky and jagged and perfectly broken. Out now via Sad Cactus Records, it deploys bigger, deeper distorted riffs this go-round, heavier bass elements with a more focused vocal intent than their previous releases. Graveled in its edges, it is visceral and organic in its execution without straying too far from the quirky charms and Helium-meets-Hella mathy swagger they do so well.
After two leading singles, the lumbering and ominous “Raindrop” (see our thoughts here) and “Elbow Stress Rash,” their ode to isolation-fueled anxiety and its physical manifestations, Dana Lipperman (guitar, vocals) and Judd Anderman (drums) have only begun to scratch the surface across the breadth and depths of this work. There’s an ebb and flow, a pulse throughout the album that inherently feels like a live performance. Parts of it are overblown and fuzzed out, while others slick and shiny.
Much of Saspucker is wonderfully dark clouds; an intense storm passing across the beautifully ravaged doom organ, often ZOIA-esque circuit in landscape. It’s chorus in the land of monsters. On “Big Hands,” Lipperman declares “Hold my hand. Lick my fingers” before the tape slowly unwinds and drops into a sub bass universe. This is no longer your kinder gentler Gorgeous, it’s anxious and it’s chaotic. For songs like “Lovebug” and “New Paltz Waltz,” she pits subtle acoustic guitars against hard gated riffs and Anderman’s staggered heartbeat like some sort of ASMR jangle. A rare call to order, on “Keep it Steady,” the pair does just that, allowing the drums and vocals to carve out a brief moment of brewing balance and calm between the phased feedback and confusion.
Not to make a glass onion of things, but while Sapsucker is one of those records that indeed floors you from the get, further listens open new sonic textures as the layers rub and tear and wash against one another. Lyrically confident, it makes no bones in exposing vulnerable anxiety. And while also frenzied and complex—almost contradictory at times—the mood which you bring to your listening heavily shapes and colors the experience. There are spots where you can easily get lost in the fantasy realm to which it belongs, often the door-knocking of the kick drum the only thing tethering you back to the world. It comes full circle as the end is the beginning is the end leaving you fairly confident that Anderman is the sweet and Lipperman is the tooth.
Sapsucker is out now via Sad Cactus Records and available on Bandcamp and all major streamers.
Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of a some new things that we dug that came out in the last week (ish), quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. This week we have Chantal [CW], Emily [EA], Kate B [KB], Kate H [KH] and Ray [RR] weighing in on a big list of killer songs and have the scoop on plenty of new tunes, give ’em a listen!
Be Your Own Pet–Worship The Whip. These Nashville punkers are back after 15 years, and while they sound polished they also still sound as frantic and vital as ever. This song may seem sexy at first (“lick it up baby, lick it clean / you eat it up baby / you worship the whip“) but frontwoman Jamina Pearl Abegg reveals the underlying meaning is “about the right-wing authoritarian personality.” Mommy will be out August 25th on Third Man Records; the band will be touring this fall and appearing at Elsewhere on October 21st. [CW]
Blonde Redhead– Snowman. The beloved NYC-based rock trio of Kazu Makino and twin brothers Amadeo and Simone Pace have created a floaty dream-pop track that feels like spinning in the first soft snow of winter. Sparse rhythm guitar echoes, as the drums hold a steady beat underneath, building in intensity and rhythmic complexity as the song goes on. The gorgeous layered vocals are front and center, with Amadeo Pace taking the lead. “I got inspired to write a song that only had two chords and a melody that would live and float between them,” Pace writes. “‘Snowman’ is about how it can be a blessing or a curse to be invisible and undetectable, and how it’s something we all feel and desire at times.” The track is the first lead single off of Sit Down for Dinner, Blonde Redhead’s first album in nine years, due for release on September 29 via Section 1. [KB]
Claud–Wet / Crumbs. Claud’s new single “Wet” is a dreamy, energetic, synthy pop tune, refreshingly polished but still very much “bedroom”. The lyrics are catchy, and the chorus in particular is achingly relatable for anyone who’s been forced to accept an insincere “I’m sorry” to preserve a relationship. “That’s not an apology,” Claud sings, “But I’ll take what I can get.” Meanwhile, B-side Crumbs is a subtler, more delicate piece that barely exceeds two minutes (perhaps fitting, a little song about “the little things”). Some more great, simple lyrics here, with clever juxtapositions between the cute and the dangerous: “The little wings on the little bugs / I’d kill for you.” You can catch Claud live at the Bowery Ballroom September 12th, and their new album, Supermodel releases July 14th on Saddest Factory Records. [EA]
The Clientele–Dying in May. The second track released off The Clientele’s upcoming album I Am Not There Anymore, “Dying in May” is an exhilarating, anxious dream. Listening to it, you feel like something is always about to happen: there’s a tension behind that cello, some inexplicable pressure, unease in that quick drum beat juxtaposed with a droning mellotron that just keeps building and building but never quite relieves you. Featuring repetitive vocals and no guitar, it’s something experimental for the 32-year indie pop veterans. Songwriter and vocalist Alasdair MacLean explains:
“There was no way in hell I could play guitar along with these rhythms, so I scored out a simple melody which would leave space for the drums, and be something the bass could latch on to. By the end, the words go over and over, like someone beside themselves with grief. Hence the title. It’s a harrowing subject, but I think it’s presented with love — the song hopefully opens it out and lets some air in. It feels like an exorcism for me.”
He also notes that the drums and instruments are in different time signatures, “I almost feel I could dance to this, but not quite.” This song falls into the uncanny valley of music, which seems to be exactly the point. Almost familiar, but something’s off: “The memory of childhood but at the same time the impossibility of truly remembering childhood…” MacLean says the album explores, “…or even knowing who or what you are.” I Am Not There Anymore is out July 28th on Merge Records, and The Clientele will be playing the Bowery Ballroom on August 10th. [EA]
Cut Worms– Ballad Of The Texas King.Brooklyn based singer songwriter Max Clarke goes by the name Cut Worms and his latest song, “Ballad Of The Texas King,” is the first single from his forthcoming eponymous release out in July. Recorded at Onlyness Analog in the Hudson Valley with the help of Rick Spataro (Florist), “Texas King” harkens back to quieter, more peaceful days both sonically as well as lyrically. Upon hearing the tune initially, my first thought was how much the tune reminded me of “Life In A Northern Town,” the 1983 hit that put Dream Acadamy on the map. As for the lyrical content, the song itself seems to be a letter of advice from grown up Max Clarke to a young Max. The combination of light breezy folk rock with the story Clarke tells works quite nicely.
Cut Worms will be playing a Friday night residency at Union Pool in July and if “Texas King” is any indication, these sets ought to be quite special. [RR]
Grrrl Gang– Spunky. If—like me—you’re a fan of Bratmobile, LeTigre and the seminal riot grrrl sound of the 90s, then this one is going to tick a lot of boxes for you. The title track from the Indonesian groups upcoming full length (due out this fall via Green Island Music and licensed to Kill Rock Stars in the US) is indeed spunky, living up to its name and packing a snarky (and inspiring) punch with lyrics like “I was born in the pit / I gave birth in the pit / I never shave my pits / let me swallow your spit.” The song relates the experience lead singer Angeeta Sentana had during a manic episode.
She shares:
“I feel like I’m on top of the world, untouchable. I do things without thinking, always chasing after that feeling of instant gratification. I feel extra confident in myself—to a point of grandiose thinking—and that I could do anything,”
The song comes paired with a fun video that sees Sentana inspiring the protagonist of the video. This first taste of Spunky was bratty and tart, I can’t wait for more. [KH]
Jess Kallen–Exotherm. The title track from Jess Kallen’s new album is both laid back and catchy, while Kallen spins a tale of their pet turtle (“my pet turtle likes the space between the flower pot and wall / feels like a hug without really being held at all).” By the end it’s clear the song is really a metaphor for closeness (“we’re all the same / just digging holes and trying to run / and nobody knows / but you understand / all the exothermic / parts I am.“) The fun music video features a cameo from the turtle as well. Exotherm will be out June 21st on New Professor Music. [CW]
Kristin Hersh– Dandelion. On this brand new track, Hersh’s one-of-a-kind vulnerable voice sparkles over lush cello lines, sparkly glockenspiel chimes, and thoughtful acoustic guitar strums. The slow and reflective “Dandelion” pulses sultry like a summer daydream, and is the first single off of Hersh’s new solo album Clear Pond Road (her first full-length solo release since 2018’s Possible Dust Clouds). She described the inspiration for the song: “Dandelion’s main image is climbing a fire escape up to my dressing room in an alley outside a club I was playing (I’ve never needed to invent metaphors; they’re everywhere)…Anybody in love is always climbing to those eyes, you know? We’re voyeurs because we can’t ever know the beloved as completely as we want to.” Clear Pond Road releases on September 8 via Fire Records. [KB]
The Mary Onettes– Forever Before Love / Future Grief. Two brand new singles from the Swedish quartet, the former starts off with a twinkly, gothic jangle straight out of a 70s horror movie (it reminds of Suspiria, for some reason). And I suppose it makes a lot of sense that the track combines elements of yesteryear with today’s indie pop staples, since songwriter Philip Ekström says the song “is about finding the way back to yourself after a very long relationship. The process of trying to connect with the person you were before that.” The second track, “Future Grief” features guest vocals by Agnes Aldén, who also wrote the song’s verses while Ekström wrote the choruses. It doesn’t sound disjointed at all, though, and in fact their voices and words work together in a wonderful medley of airy guitars and entrancing harmonies. [EA]
Middle Aged Queers– This Song is Sponsored By Absolute Vodka. This California punk band is known for their sarcastic and cheeky takes on many things and here, they pull no punches as they let you know exactly how they feel about the corporatization of Pride month and “multinational corporations…clean[ing] eleven months’ worth of dust off of their rainbow logos” A true Bay Area classic pop punk ripper, it’s rough around the edges in all the right ways and the snark oozes out in sardonic glory with lyrics like You’ve got a gay boss man / at your startup so you’ll be marching /At this years pride parade / they’ll put a rainbow on your logo / You’ll walk your city blocks / Marking the anniversary of / When a fearless leader named Tim Cook / Threw the first brick at Stonewall.
The song certainly may be funny, but it addresses a subject that is no laughing matter. Queers are having our rights stripped away on a daily basis, where are these corporations the rest of the year when they aren’t trying to shake us down for our money? Yeah, I don’t know either. Fortunately there are bands like MAQ to help us through when shit seems the bleakest and I don’t know about you, but I need that levity to keep on surviving in a world that wants me dead. And I need a good soundtrack to keep me laughing while I point my very gay middle aged middle fingers at the hollow Pride pandering. [KH]
Oceanator– Part Time. Brooklyn’s Oceanator just hit the road with Gladie and AJJ— after coming also just off the road for a brief run with Laura Stevenson. I mention this because, with all of the touring Oceanator does (and they seem to be on the road forever), it’s hard to imagine when they find the time to get to the studio to record new music. Yet this week we were blessed with a new single from Elise Okusami titled “Part Time” and much like my favorite track, “The Last Summer” from last year’s remarkable Nothing’s Ever Fine LP,“Part Time” is already sounding like a front runner for THAT song that’s just perfect for hanging with friends, chilling out and enjoying summer fun.
Opening with a bouncy bass and drum beat the song immediately makes you want to dance. The rhythm section is soon joined by a synthy keyboard riff which brings to mind a rollicking yet subtle farfisa feel. And when Elise’s distorted guitar takes over during the chorus, I dare anyone, be they standing or sitting not to be rocking back and forth to this one. Cowritten by Okusami and Cheekface’s Greg Katz, “Part Time” sure sounds and feels like a great summer of ’23 hit. [RR]
Onesie– What You Kill. A thoughtful mid-tempo pop song about trying to survive the hellscape of late-stage capitalism, “What You Kill” is the first single from Brooklyn-based band Onesie’s third LP Liminal Hiss, due out August 18. The track shows off songwriter/guitarist/singer Ben Haberland’s jangly guitar hooks, including a very cool 80s-esque outro that gets more expansive and dancey. Haberland teamed forces with the Turkish artist Ertugrul Yaka to create the song’s video. Haberland says, “I loved the animated video he did for Julia Shapiro a few years back. When it came time to bring this darker Onesie song to life, I DM-ed Ertugrual and we started corresponding on the concept over a couple months. It’s ironic how our language and distance barrier was transcended by the very technology that can make us so miserable. His work really captures what I was feeling when I wrote the song.” [KB]
Palehound– My Evil.Queer artist El Kempner aka Palehound recently announced a brand new album, Eye On The Bat (July 14, Polyvinyl) and shared the rocking first single “The Clutch,” (read our thoughts). Now they have released the second song, which incorporates a video that uses the interesting framework of The Sopranos to come to terms with, as Kempner tells it, “the extremely humbling experience of realizing that yes, you are the asshole.”
They continued:
“I found myself acting in ways I was ashamed of, and realizing how capable I was of hurting somebody when I was trying so hard not to. Sometimes when you try so hard to be a “good person” you’re actually swinging so far and recklessly that you make a full circle back to being a shithead. It can be very hard to forgive yourself, and this song is a portrait of that struggle for me.”
On the video:
“When I got the idea to make a video based on the intro credits of Tony driving through Jersey, I knew I had to do it with my friend Richard Orofino. He’s possibly even a bigger Sopranos fan than I am and he did an incredible job mapping out a lot of the original locations from the show, including Tony’s house that we see at the end of the video. This whole thing was super DIY, just me and Richard (and his camcorder) having the time of our lives and being embarrassing superfans. It’s not exactly shot for shot of the original but, to brag for a sec, I’m truly amazed at how close we were able to get it.”
They will also hit the road this fall in support of the album and play NYC on 10/19 at Bowery Ballroom. [KH]
Protomartyr–Polacrilex Kid. As an appetizer for their new album, Protomartyr have released a live performance of one of its tracks (and part of The Marty Singer Telethon), with the band surrounded by a chaotic complement of clownish characters. “Polacrilex Kid” features a rolling, unrelenting drumbeat punctuated by spiky guitar and singer Joe Casey’s half-yell as he states “I’m back” and asks “can you hate yourself and still deserve love?” Casey says the song was inspired by “the quit smoking/start smoking again tilt-a-whirl—the song title is a reference to the chemical name for nicotine gum. Formal Growth In The Desert will be out June 2nd on Domino, and Protomartyr will play two shows at the Bowery Ballroom on June 15th and 16th. [CW]
The NYC-based garage rockers Dr. Ex & the Break-Ups released their debut album What the Hex Is Going On? earlier this spring, and the nine songs speed by at a dizzying fever pitch, like cruising through a high-speed cartoon chase. It’s not surprising that the release is named for an episode of Scooby Doo, Where Are You (season one, episode six, if you’re curious). The music here shimmies and spins around you with plenty of spooky craziness, wacky humor, and a clear mission of madcap fun. One of the band’s fans, Patrick Marton, described their sound with this question: “What if the Scooby Doo gang was super into garage punk and beat up Question Mark and The Mysterians and stole their instruments?” What if? Clearly, you end up dancing with vampires and werewolves while Dr. Ex and The Break-Ups rock out with the same frantic energy that their cartoon selves apply to solving mysteries
.
The album kicks off with “Mystery Machine,” an up-tempo track featuring the band’s signature mix of fuzzy guitars, driving bass lines, tight drum fills, and organ-esque freak outs on the keys. A direct homage to the slapstick humor of Scooby Doo is found in the lyrics: “Scooby-Dooby-Dooby / Roll another doobie / Gotta keep it groovy / Gotta keep it moving.” Apparently the crime-fighting dog always has a dime bag on hand so that when things get intense with those ghosts, you can hit a joint and then dance your ass off. Dig it!
The lead single and second track, “Jeepers, It’s the Creeper,” delivers more delirious energy to get you dancing. The song’s video shows the band playing live to a club full of people getting down, intercut with images of the group running through the NYC streets (presumably running away from creepy love). Sometimes the four of them appear with strange bug or alien-like masks, creepy love indeed! The entire sonic whirlwind culminates in a big organ/synth outro which drives the audience wild.
The title track percolates with more pop-focused energy, like a 60s girl group on speed. Once again, the lyrics are describing monster adventures, like what happens when you turn into a werewolf after being cursed by your witchy lover: “Baby, can’t you see I’m turning / My fangs are bloody / My claws are muddy.” The horror unrolls quickly though—at just one minute and fourteen seconds—and then poof, you’re on to the next lively adventure.
The penultimate track, “Hassle in the Castle,” turns the lyrical voice over to a vampire that serves his guests drinks, then gets drunk off their blood. “Well your neck looks so tasty, don’t mind I’ll have a slice / No need to worry, I’ve been vaccinated thrice! / You know I never go outside, it’s really such a hassle / I have all my aperitifs right here inside my castle.” The propulsive rhythms and crazed organ/synth sounds reflect the madness one must feel when getting drunk with Dracula, served up with tight vocal harmonies and a flirty little breakdown section complete with hand claps.
What the Hex Is Going On? finishes off with “No Friend of Mine,” that pushes forward with a repeated ascending hook played on the keys, guitar, and bass simultaneously. Each of the album’s nine songs clock in at under three minutes, and all of them will get you grooving and moving. The band presents their credits with fun aliases: Russ T. Ex (bass & lead vocals), Anky Ex (keys & backup vocals), Johnny Ex (drums & backup vocals), and Justone Ex (guitar), all of whom have played in various NYC bands over the years. There is no doubt that Dr. Ex and the Break-Ups will put on a fantastic live show, and you can catch them at Gold Sounds on Friday June 2 with The Piggies, Donut City, and Momsomnia.
It’s been a minute since we’ve heard a full release from NYC’s Pink Mexico, but like most truly good things, it was worth the wait. We here at Full Time Aesthetic have been following all the noise trailing the band leading up to its release including the music video for the self-unassured “Dungeonhead” (which we premiered on FTA back in April), and follow up singles “Shame” and “Victimhead.”
For those familiar with Pink Mexico over the years, you may notice this is a slightly new direction for the band. Right away in “Hot Air” you can just feel the record opens up way more space in which the sound to exist. Written and performed almost entirely by frontman Robert Preston Collum, there’s a sleepy element here that works wonderfully with their heavy components that are still present, but buried just below the surface. A lot of the record deals with regret and fear, touching upon the absurdities of existence. Collum told New Noise Magazine in their track by track breakdown of the album, “I was in the process of dealing with, or actually finding excuses for some new realities in my life. Progressively ignoring the slow closing jaws of dependency, the fear of failure and the desire to continue on, all of which are overarching themes throughout Mirrorhead.”
My favorite parts here are the less obvious moments. For instance, “Muring Calm” pulls its sound in a little tighter, creating underlying tension against a loaded backdrop of smiles and contentment. “Fuck It I Quit” has such extremely satisfying melody splayed over the relatable feeling of complete and utter despair. Nowhere on Mirrorhead do you find an air of pretense. It’s just straight damn human condition, and that’s what makes this record so damn good. It simply touches upon what it feels like to be a person here on this planet, all wrapped up in a deep fuzzy hug that feels somehow reminiscent of both Smashing Pumpkins and Dandy Warhols but at the same time neither. But it’s that final track “Feeling Normal” where it sounds like the band literally dug out the ground from underneath them and somehow made the sky even go even higher. Mirrorhead feels so much bigger than space it occupies and yet hits like a bullet to your heart in an empty room.
Mirrorhead is out now via Quiet Panic Records and available on Bandcamp and all major streamers.
