Band's Rise and New Album
Two years after breaking through with Why Would I Watch, Hot Mulligan have moved from underground favourites to one of pop-punk’s most discussed acts. The 2024 Warmer Weather EP kept momentum alive, and their fourth full-length, The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still, aims to prove they can sustain that rise.
Album Production and Opening Tracks
Given how much of the last two years the band has spent on the road, the album’s polish is surprising. The record opens with the reflective Moving To Bed Bug Island before detonating into the more immediate And A Big Load, the lead single. That push-and-pull between quieter moments and high-energy hits runs through the record and highlights a band expanding its range.
Vocal Performance and Themes
A track with a jokey title, It Smells Like Fudge Axe In Here, delivers a candid, intense performance from both vocalists. The dual voices of Nathan “Tades” Sanville and Chris Freeman remain a central strength, their interplay adding real emotional heft.
Songs such as Island in the Sun and Bon Jonah are direct and affecting, with the latter confronting mental-health themes in a fr...