EP REVIEW: The King And Queen Of Gasoline – Hot Milk
If you don’t know who HOT MILK are, where have you been?! The Mancunian pop punk/power pop four piece are back with their third EP release The King And Queen Of Gasoline, following on from the huge success of their second EP I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead last year. They have really upped the ante with this brand new body of work. Consisting of six absolutely unforgettable tracks, there is no doubt in our mind that this is their best to date.
The EP tackles relatable themes such as the toils and tribulations of adulthood, growing up and toxic relationships as well as new beginnings, with bandmates Han Mee and Jim Shaw actually revealing that they are in fact exes who are now just best friends. From the first chord of debut self-titled track The King And Queen Of Gasoline, we were hooked! This track shows how much HOT MILK have evolved since their early poppier sounding days, with this song slotting perfectly into a rock themed musical! A world away from their usual energetic style, The King And Queen Of Gasoline is an emotional pop-rock ballad which is sure to tug at your heartstrings, that’s for sure.
As we move into Teenage Runaways, we are met with an introductory guitar riff which emulates their previous track I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead. This is a complete contrast to the last, with their typical lively dynamic just oozing out of this track one chord at a time. The chorus is undeniably infectious and memorable – you are going to be singing it non-stop for days to come! Near the end of the song, you are hit with a BRING ME THE HORIZON inspired bridge, showing that they are more than capable of changing up their sound in more ways than one.
I Fell In Love With Someone I Shouldn’t Have is another up-tempo pop-punk banger. Han Mee is a vocal powerhouse with her gritty, rock fuelled voice well and truly making this song what it is. It focuses on a previous relationship of Mee’s, where she felt so frustrated with her ex for not wanting her to follow her dreams in music; letting fans know that it’s okay to be single and thriving as a result of a bad breakup. Bad Influence is definitely one of the best songs on the EP for sure, hooking you in with every listen. In this track, Han Mee and Jim Shaw dissect their alter-ego identities, singing honestly about their need for freedom from friendships that just weren’t suiting them.
The Secret To Saying Goodbye is about the gradual evolvement of Han Mee and Jim Shaw‘s relationship from romantic partners to best friends. Fuzzy synths and catchy power pop melodies stand at the helm, with even an unexpected saxophone solo in the latter part of the track. It is real, honest and raw and we think a lot of fans will appreciate HOT MILK for their personability here. The last track on The King And Queen Of Gasoline is Chloroform/Nightmares. The four piece push on with another emotionally heavy three and a half minutes of relatable greatness. They speak honestly about their time living in London, coming to terms with the realisation that their true home is in Manchester and always will be. Chloroform/Nightmares is the perfect combination of intrigue and intensity with more synth type sounds capturing these feelings well. It just makes you wonder what HOT MILK have got planned for the future and we are genuinely more than ready to see what they do next!
There could be one of HOT MILK‘s best releases yet, with a real mix of high-energy, kickass songs to more emotionally raw tracks that will most definitely get you feeling thoughtful. HOT MILK will blow your mind with this record, no doubt about it!
Rating: 8/10
The King And Queen Of Gasoline is out now via Music For Nations.
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