For this fourth opus, I Got Heaven, American band Mannequin Pussy gets out of their comfort zone. Review.
I GOT HEAVEN – MANNEQUIN PUSSY
The Philadelphia’s indie-rock band, Mannequin Pussy, has mutated and gave birth to I Got Heaven. Their idea is to connect two seemingly afar dots. In a too-binary world, they make me want to pulverize standards. And to bring together whoever is listening. To achieve their goals, they get hardcore punk to pledge allegiance to a bubbly and soft pop the record reveals. The allegiance is actually reciprocal.
Pop comes and marks many tracks. But post-punk, metal, and other hardcore forms of rock music are not pushed aside mindlessly. In the screams of I Got Heaven and Loud Bark, some noticeable textures are growing. OK? OK! OK? OK!, Of Her and Aching are particularly virulent, visceral. They are well worked on and yet pure and raw. To see this change at its best, it’s best to compare it to some more classical tracks. The fluid and spacious Nothing Like is a great example.
These caustic instants make songs like I Don’t Know You, Sometimes, and Softly even more tranquil and captivating. If you have been following the blog for some time, you must know it, but I love contrast. Here, Mannequin Pussy gives me plenty of contrast indeed. After the violent end of Aching, Split Me Open is a different violence, on a very 70s ballad. Summery, warm, tender… it also pushes genres’ boundaries on its outro. It’s how Mannequin Pussy closes I Got Heaven, with an amused and knowing wink. Overall, it’s a determined, polished, and audacious record.
