Recommended tracks: “Monica Lewinskibidi,” “Monster Burger and a $5 Beer,” “Slumdog Scungillionaire”
Artists you might like: Arm’s Length, Free Throw, Prince Daddy & The Hyena
After their groundbreaking third LP Why Would I Watch released nearly two years ago, Hot Mulligan has easily become one of the biggest names in the pop-punk/emo scene. Now with their latest effort, The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still, the post-emo inventors are back with a clearer-than-ever picture of just how massive these five guys from Lansing, Michigan, are destined to be.
While the band has reached a new peak with their ridiculous and silly song titles here, don’t let this tracklist fool you. The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still is an album that commands your full attention as it tackles polarizing struggles with grief, paranoia, self-deprecation, and the concept of life beyond the grave.
“Moving to Bed Bug Island” kicks the record off on a soft, unfamiliar note. The track begins with a mellow undertone, acoustic guitar, and unexpectedly dreamy delivery from vocalist Tades Sanville before bursting into a more dramatic, rounded production. Hot Mulligan sets the stage for the rest of the record with Sanville echoing “It’s coming back again” and “it just keeps going,” almost mimicking feelings of dissociation and disorientation.
Things quickly change pace as a dynamic drum fill erupts into the album’s lead single, “And a Big Load.” Released in June alongside the initial album announcement, the anthemic track explores the inner battle with the consequences of your actions and the frustration associated with self-awareness and decision-making.
“It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here” expresses themes of paranoia, panic, and self-doubt alongside an ear-grabbing guitar riff. Co-vocalist and guitarist Chris Freeman urgently cries that he feels like someone’s watching him everywhere he goes before Sanville enters, kicking off their back-and-forth delivery throughout the song. The entirety of “It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here” feels like a downward spiral of self-doubt and fear. Sanville closes the bridge as he screams, “There’s something wrong with me / Some poison swims through my system and leaves me ashamed.”
Hot Mulligan teamed up with Free Throw’s Cory Castro for the album’s second single, “Island in the Sun” (and no, it’s nothing like the Weezer song). Castro and Sanville’s vocals complement each other as they angstily deliver a spot-on representation of spiraling thoughts, regret ,and self-destruction.
“Bon Jonah” feels warmly reminiscent of Hot Mulligan’s early discography. Sanville and Freeman deliver an unnervingly cohesive vocal exchange as the drums relentlessly pound behind them. The track wrestles with several aspects of declining mental health, including overthinking, stress, and anxiety. These thoughts fully take over as the pair gets in their own heads and admits they’re embarrassed to live in their minds.
“This Makes Me Yummy” is a mellow, synth-driven interlude that winds down the momentum of the first five tracks before diving into the next. It’s the first of two on The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still, with its acoustic-focused counterpart “This Makes Me Yucky” appearing further down the line as track 12. The second interlude includes a spoken-word piece that finishes with a bone-chilling phrase: “Nothing you did made any difference.”
Hot Mulligan might have created the best track to grace their catalog — and it’s somehow called “Monica Lewinskibidi.” This track is the perfect embodiment of who they are as artists, from the insanely unserious song title and emotionally debilitating lyrics to the glittering guitars and cathartic screams.
Out of all the guesses you could have about the meaning behind a song called “Monica Lewinskibidi,” the paralyzing effects of grief probably wasn’t one of them. Sanville battles the ache of missing his late grandmother as the lyrics dwell on the emptiness he feels at one in the morning. The passage of time is arguably the song’s most intricate detail as it wraps up with one of the most gut-wrenching lines on the record: “It’s 5 a.m. in Tokyo, and half a world away / I’m sitting in a parking lot, you’re laying in your grave.” The repetition of “Please wake up / I’ll call home” is another devastating moment that reflects these feelings of denial and being unable to accept that someone you love is truly gone.
“Milam Minute” is another track that tackles grief, but with a much more melancholic and somber tone. That pitched acoustic guitar seen on the opening track returns as Freeman delivers a stunningly emotional vocal performance.
When Hot Mulligan first announced The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still, Sanville revealed the album’s title was a nod to one of the lyrics. The wait was gladly worth it to discover that the painstakingly deep name comes from a song called “Cream of Wheat of Feet Naw Cream of (Feat.).” The band once again struggles with paranoid thoughts and even lyrically references the Shakespearian tragedy Othello, which is known for its themes of deception, self-doubt, and jealousy. They also jump right back into their classic fast-paced production with signature twinkly guitars and an achingly punchy rhythm that dominate on this track.
“Mix Master Wade on the Beat” grapples with feeling lost and discouraged. The bouncy instrumental might be the perfect headbanging moment if the Michiganders choose to throw this one onto future setlists. The contrast between “I know better” and Sanville’s repeating “I don’t know better” during the outro portrays the inner turmoil of believing the worst about yourself. “Carbon Monoxide Hotel” further deals with self-deprecating thoughts by demonstrating alcohol as a coping mechanism. Sanville laments, “Drowning mistakes I can’t face from the night before / Hating the taste, but not wanting to think anymore.”
“Let Me See Your Mounts” is a short and sweet tune that confronts struggling with self-control and feeling like you’re in far too deep to ever recover. The band then most closely matches their early days on “Monster Burger and a $5 Beer,” which could fit right onto 2020’s you’ll be fine with an opening guitar riff that practically screams Midwest emo.
Hot Mulligan reaches the heaviest moment on the album with “Slumdog Scungillionare,” both sonically and lyrically. The instrumental builds from a gloomy piano intro to one of the most intense breakdowns of the band’s career. Sanville’s guttural, frantic screaming on this song is arguably one of the most powerful and impressive points on the record. Even more impressive, though, is the switch back to the softer, more relaxed vocal delivery that almost mimics a comedown from an utter mental collapse.
The final track, “My Dad Told Me to Write a Nice One for Nana so This Is It,” brings the album full circle as this stripped-down conclusion echoes its opening. Sanville shares a personal and tender tribute to his late grandmother as the song closes with “There’s no saint like you / There’s no way I’d part with you.”
The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still is Hot Mulligan’s hardest hitting record to date. The no. 1 hot new band showcases their artistic growth with a new level of emotional depth that’s as cathartic as it is authentic. They’ve mastered the art of using lighthearted humor to cope with the worst parts of the human experience. The album is arguably the loudest, most sincere, and well-rounded that the group has ever been and proves that if you’re not already hooked on them, you will be soon.
Hot Mulligan will be embarking on The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still Tour across North America with Arm’s Length, Anxious, and Drug Church this fall. Most dates have already sold out, but remaining tickets and information for all of these upcoming shows can be found here.
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