ALBUM REVIEW: Why Would I Watch – Hot Mulligan
With the buzz that HOT MULLIGAN have generated in the last couple of years, you could be forgiven for not realising that the band have been active for almost a decade, but on their third full-length release, this experience shows through in a collection of accomplished pop-rock songs, spit-shined to near perfection. Their raw and emotional take on pop-punk certainly leans into the punk side of things, rejecting glossy production for a chaotic fusion of sounds drawing from just about every subgenre that tends to be grouped under the ‘emo’ umbrella.
This unique rawness is due in no small part to Tades Sanville’s yelpy vocals that veer between delightfully unhinged and achingly vulnerable. Like THE WONDER YEARS before them, HOT MULLIGAN inject this rough sound with a pop sensibility that keeps the songs as accessible as they are gritty. Opener Shouldn’t Have A Leg Hole But I Do (get used to the unserious song titles) displays this knack for hooky songwriting right from the off, with an earwormy lead vocal line that sets the tone for the album. The back-and-forth between Sanville’s vocals and the cleaner voice of guitarist Chris Freeman feels like midwest emo’s answer to Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus in the best way possible.
This vocal interplay continues to shine on It’s A Family Movie She Hates Her Dad, which also displays Freeman and Ryan ‘Spicy’ Malicsi’s penchant for noodly lead guitar lines. Drummer Brandon Blakeley also deserves a shout-out for bringing some much-needed grooves to this track and numerous others throughout the record. By contrast And I Smoke reveals some indie rock influence, which sounds like BLOC PARTY if Kele Okereke had been born in Michigan rather than East London.
This Song Is Called It’s Called What It’s Called touches on the pressures and pain of years spent on the road as Sanville lists off disparate images of “an old van, a farmer’s tan, a venue, and I don’t know where my wallet is” over glistening plucked guitars with melodies that could well be lifted from a THE 1975 song. Betty is another tender moment – a crushingly earnest ode to a lost pet. The refrain of “she used to sleep tucked in a tiny ball” is a line that cuts to the quick of a very specific type of emotional pain, one that will be deeply relatable to many listeners. It might sound trite, but the sincerity with which this acoustic cut is delivered is surprisingly moving.
Shhhh! Golf Is On returns to well-trodden pop-punk territory – outgrowing your hometown and the trauma that comes with strained familial relationships – and somehow still manages to feel fresh. We dare you not to scream along with the defiant cries of “reject change”, you simply can’t do it. Gans Media Retro Games is another strikingly powerful lyrical moment (“was I the problem? Well, it would seem so”), complemented perfectly by the jangling synths that ring out throughout the chorus.
The record closes strong with John “The Rock” Cena, Can You Smell What The Undertaker, which seems to call back to BCKYRD, the ballad from their 2020 record you’ll be fine. The track, which touches on body dysmorphia, builds to a dramatic crescendo bolstered by a soaring string section.
While cathartic, Why Would I Watch can be an exhausting listening experience. With every song shooting for the most intense emotional response, some can’t help but fade into the noise. But even if there is some fat to be trimmed among the 12 tracks presented here, the effectiveness of HOT MULLIGAN’s songwriting can’t be denied, as the majority of the songs on offer strike a near-perfect balance between melancholy and cathartic that attracts so many to the genre. The self-proclaimed ‘No. 1 Hot New Band’ have certainly made a strong case for ‘post-emo’ being the next big thing here.
Rating: 8/10
Why Would I Watch is set for release on May 12th via Wax Bodega.
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