The Album:

After a sensational debut record in 2018, fans were amped and ready for new music by Hot Mulligan; therefore, when talk of new tunes from the band hit the circuit: everyone went wild. So, let’s sit and talk about the band’s sophomore album. At first glance, the band set their best foot forward to give listeners a record that resonates similarly to their debut album. They provided titles that were crazy and uniquely Hot Mulligan, while driving with a sound that will sound pleasantly familiar to fans. The music that falls on the inside rocks with the over-the-top aggressive front in terms of articulation of instrumental parts. This allows for the instrumentalists to dig into their parts as much as they please. Additionally, this gives the band a lot of room in terms of contrast, both lyrically and instrumentally. This is what helps to make their unique grooves retain and shine. Along with this, Hot Mulligan continues to drive with a pop punk sound that pulls from various genres to create their characteristic sound. The most prominent genres being: party, funk, and alternative. Although those influences stand out the most, the band utilizes more genres than just that. This crossover of musical nuances allows the band to continue to drive their personal sound, while also creating tunes that sound so cool and innovative, for they aren’t following a specific template: they are just writing music. Overall, I would give this album a 5 out of 5 stars. I am giving this record such a score, for it blew their debut album out of the water in every musical and aesthetic category, which was a hard task to accomplish. I highly suggest checking out this record because you won’t be disappointed.

 

Top Tracks:

“Dirty Office Bongos”, “*Equip Sunglasses*”, and “The Song Formerly Known as Intro”

Now every tune that made the cut for this record is absolutely incredible, but these tracks? These are the selections that are going to take Hot Mulligan to the next level. These songs take the aesthetic that listeners have grown to love from the band since their start, and the band then expands that by about 100000.500%, if I’m being technical. These selections rock the pure pop punk vibe while retaining that nod to the funk and party genres of music. They resonate with their off-the-wall song titles, and together, they capture the true essence of this album. Though you should check out this work in its entirety, if you just want a taste: start here.

 

The Artwork:

 At first glance, the artwork for this album is quite remarkable. The image creates the atmosphere of a person sitting in nature just looking out into the distance with their dog, but that person’s human features blend into nature’s elements. This scenic, longing image of a person looking off into the distance is standard for a Hot Mulligan cover, which helps to make all their works cohesive in some manner. Let’s dive into the work to see if the music matches the affiliated muse. When listening to this record, it can be said that it makes you feel like it’s summer time. The music that is presented on the album resonates in terms of tonal centers, instrumental influx, and overall presentation places listeners in a lighthearted and bright state. This correlates to the album artwork, for the skies are bright blue with only some clouds to bring the scenery together. Additionally, the music found on the record, in terms of lyrics, fall towards the reflective side of things. This is a common topic that artists in the pop punk scene write music about; however Hot Mulligan tackles the ideas of reflecting and mental health in an innovative way that makes you feel as if you are being consumed by nature’s beautiful elements at times. In general, I would say both the artwork and the music on the inside are stellar on their own, but together? They create a beautiful experience for listeners.

*”you’ll be fine” was released on March 6^th, 2020 through No Sleep Records.