The Sound a Body Makes When It's Still
Hot Mulligan's song titles remain a fairly unreliable guide to what is inside. Monica Lewinskibidi is about grief. That probably tells you something useful about The Sound a Body Makes When It's Still: the jokes are still around, but the feelings underneath them are not small ones.
The quieter Moving to Bed Bug Island gives the album an unsettled beginning before And a Big Load brings the full band into focus. The guitars are quick and detailed, the rhythm section is tight, and Tades Sanville sounds as though the words are arriving faster than he can comfortably deal with them. It is a distinctive combination, and the band handle it with confidence.
Mix Master Wade on the Beat is another strong example of that energy. The guitar leads move around the vocal without losing the song's direction. Hot Mulligan can fit a lot into a short track, and the best ones feel busy for a reason.
Monica Lewinskibidi has more emotional weight than its title deserves. Sanville considers the loss of his grandmother while being far away on tour, and the restless guitar work suits that feeling of life continuing when you are not ready for it. The song is direct enough to make the awkward title almost disappear. Almost.
Milam Minute turns the volume down with acoustic guitar and piano. The intensity stays, which makes the quieter arrangement useful rather than merely restful. Slumdog Scungillionaire moves the other way, starting with brighter keyboards before the heavier vocal attack takes over.
Sanville's rough delivery is central to the record, and it will also be the main obstacle for some listeners. He spends a lot of time near the edge of a shout. The melodic guitar parts and quieter moments give that sound enough contrast, but this is still an emotionally demanding album.
The band are working within a recognisable style rather than searching for a new one. That familiarity makes sense when the songs are this involved. The strongest tracks make room for grief, regret and small acts of persistence without pretending that any of them are simple. It's a very good record, however you feel about the track listing.
