ALBUM REVIEW: Halloween Mixtape II – Magnolia Park
MAGNOLIA PARK have been mixing things up since 2019. For the Orlando, Florida five-piece, it’s second nature to have songs that cover hip-hop, pop-punk and emo music. After their first mixtape, Halloween Mixtape, and their full-length album, Baku’s Revenge, as well as several EPs, including 2022’s HeartEater, the band are back with Halloween Mixtape II. Across seventeen songs, they team up with the likes of NOTHING, NOWHERE to deliver a mixtape that broadens their musical horizons.
The End: Emo Nite Rhapsody transitions seamlessly from a slow-paced piano introduction to the fast-paced guitar driven rock song. This perfectly exemplifies the album. Whether it is the trap-beat of Breathing – featuring rapper NOTHING, NOWHERE, who fits in perfectly and really beings the song alive as he adds a new perspective – or the dance-esque Dreams, each of the songs makes an impact on the listener.
Despite the songs having short runtimes, the album is quite long because of the amount of the songs. However, the album never loses direction. The 17 songs include four interludes, called Halloween Tips, that act as chapter breaks between the songs. This helps the album stay focused and on track. For example, Halloween Tip 1 leads into Haunted House, a post-hardcore song that is perfect for the Halloween spirit.
In fact, all of the songs on this album are, as it’s not called Halloween Mixtape II for nothing. On the other hand, the songs might have Halloween themes, but the lyrics are universal. Furthermore, each of the Halloween Tips interludes mark a section of the album that is dedicated to a different genre, which also helps its pacing. For example, the songs in between Tips 1 and 2 cover the rock and post-hardcore genres, whereas Animal and Loved By You – which are between Tips 2 and 3 – are electro-rock songs.
Whilst the songs do have an order and work well together, the amount of songs is a bit daunting to newcomers. Furthermore, whilst the rest of the album has an order, the first few songs do switch up genres faster than expected. The songs themselves are well-produced; however, they can seem jarring when next to each other on the album. For example, the trap-beats of Breathing do clash a bit with the following song, Do or Die, a heavy hip-hop song. This is because Do or Die then turns into a post-hardcore song. Although this issue is rectified throughout the rest of the album, the first five songs could have been cut down, especially as the pacing is cluttered due to the songs changing genre.
However, the pacing of the rest of the album is medium-paced. The songs fit nicely into short sections, and the change in genre is broken up by the interludes. Some of the genres are fast-paced, which is also helped by the short runtime of the songs.
Overall, Halloween Mixtape II is an interesting one. Whilst MAGNOLIA PARK manage to mix genres and make a coherent album, this is only evident in eleven out of the 17 songs on the album. The interludes work as introducing each genre change. However, the first five songs – whilst excellent – can feel a bit like whiplash sometimes. On the other hand, the album is well-produced and it is a fun listen that diehard fans of the band can enjoy. The band are at their best when they stick to a few different genres, which they do here. Halloween Mixtape II is a well-paced, if slightly flawed, album that is a little overstuffed, but it is evident that MAGNOLIA PARK are still innovating.
Rating: 7/10
Halloween Mixtape II is out now via Epitaph Records.
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