Hot Mulligan release The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still and it is chaotic and heartfelt, jagged and tender… often within the same song. Across sixteen tracks, the Michigan outfit manage to pull together their most varied, emotionally loaded work yet, bouncing between full-throttle riffs and moments so stripped back you can almost hear the silence around them.
The opener, “Moving to Bed Bug Island”, caught me off guard. Instead of diving straight into something heavy, it starts relatively soft, in a way that feels almost cautious, before picking up in the second half and leaning into that familiar Hot Mulligan urgency. It’s a clever move, setting the stage for the push-and-pull dynamic that runs through the whole album.
Then “And a Big Load” comes crashing in with heavy drums, killer guitar work and a tempo that’s pure adrenaline. It’s nostalgic in a way that made me think of early Good Charlotte, but it still feels fresh and sharp and yes, it’s got that guitar solo moment that makes you want to throw your head around. The vocals are pure gold on this one.
“It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here” scratched a very specific itch for me, that scratchy, textured guitar tone that sits somewhere between beauty and grit. It’s got a strong sense of flow, with slower moments that build into bigger payoffs, and the background screams are mixed so well it never overpowers the melody. By the time we hit “Island in the Sun” (with Corey Castro of Free Throw), it’s clear the band knows exactly how to keep things snappy. The instrumentals here gave me serious “Neon Trees – Everybody Talks” vibes. It’s full of energy, it’s quick, punchy, and full of playful elements.
The emotional centrepiece, though, has to be “Monica Lewinskibidi”. It’s a story-song that slowly peels back the layers until that final verse lands. You can hear the pleading, the regret, the desperation when he keeps repeating “wake up”. The instrumental slows but the vocals keep pushing, almost like he’s trying to drag the song forward through sheer force of will. It’s one of the most powerful tracks on the whole album and the seamless transition into “Milam Minute” is a touch of class. It’s short, stripped back, and heartbreakingly direct and is a real turning point in the album’s mood.
Elsewhere, tracks like “Carbon Monoxide Hotel” and “Let Me See Your Mounts” give us that breathing space you need in a record this long. They start softer, lulling you into a head-nodding rhythm before ramping up into a heavier territory again. The two short instrumentals (“This Makes Me Yummy” and “This Makes Me Yucky”) are interesting little breaks in the action, playing with textures and experimental sounds, and they actually help the pacing. And just when you think it’s over, the closer “My Dad Told Me To Write a Nice One For Nana So This Is It” wraps things up with something genuinely sweet and heartfelt.
With the band hitting the road this autumn, it’s going to be fascinating to see how these tracks land live. Irish fans will get their chance soon, they’re opening for Pierce The Veil at Dublin’s 3Arena on September 20th and I can already picture the crowd screaming a lot of these tracks back at them. If this record is anything to go by, that show’s going to be an absolute blast.
‘The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still’ comes screaming in with an 8 out of 10
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Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography