Hot Mulligan’s The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still arrives as a confident statement from one of fourth-wave emo’s most dynamic acts. The band has long been celebrated for their ability to balance vulnerability with energetic, hook-laden instrumentation, and this record demonstrates that balance with remarkable finesse.

Across its runtime, the album navigates the emotional spectrum, moving effortlessly from euphoric, danceable highs to introspective, melancholic lows. The result is a listening experience that feels intimate and cinematic, like the soundtrack to moments both monumental and mundane.

From the opening notes of Moving to Bed Bug Island, the band sets a tone that is both gentle and immersive. The track eases listeners in, allowing the ambient instrumentation and angelic outro to linger, establishing the album’s capacity for emotional nuance. It’s a subtle start, but one that hints at the depth and versatility to come. Following this, And a Big Load immediately ramps up the energy. With its infectious rhythms and pointedly personal lyrics, the track embodies the tension Hot Mulligan often excels at; inviting movement while simultaneously landing with emotional weight. Its live potential is undeniable.

The album’s early section is anchored by It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here, which feels quintessentially Hot Mulligan. The guitar work carries the song, and small, recurring riffs in the background add layers of texture that make the track feel both familiar and fresh. It’s a nod to the band’s core sound while hinting at the meticulous production values present throughout the album.

Then comes arguably the album’s highlight: Island in the Sun. Featuring Cory Castro of Free Throw, the interplay between Sanville’s raw, urgent vocals and the ethereal backing layers creates an expansive soundscape, while the lyrics cut deeply, often feeling like they could soundtrack the listener’s personal life. Ambient elements and a carefully constructed outro make it the kind of song that lingers long after it ends – a definitive moment in the album.

Hot Mulligan doesn’t shy away from pacing that challenges the listener’s expectations. Interludes like This Makes Me Yummy and This Makes Me Yucky serve as brief respites, offering atmospheric textures and spoken-word flourishes that provide context to the heavier tracks surrounding them. While short, these moments break up the album thoughtfully, giving space for the more emotionally dense songs to land with greater impact.

The band also demonstrates a flair for bittersweet contrasts, most notably on Monica Lewinskibidi. It’s anthemic, summery, and undeniably catchy, yet its lyrical content is, quite frankly, devastating. That tension between joyful melody and emotional gravity is a hallmark of Hot Mulligan’s songwriting, and it shines here. In Milam Minute, that sense of vulnerability deepens. The scratchy string work on the guitar, combined with Freeman’s raw vocal delivery, creates a sense of unfiltered despair that’s difficult to ignore. These tracks exemplify the duality at the heart of The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still: moments of euphoric catharsis coexist with stark, often heart-breaking introspection.

The midsection of the album offers some of the strongest material. Cream of Wheat of Feet Naw Cream of is a standout, blending acoustic and electric guitar in a way that feels quintessentially fourth-wave emo. Its chorus hits hard, and the riff that follows feels both immediate and timeless. Carbon Monoxide Hotel continues this momentum, layering understated yet compelling drumming beneath a dynamic vocal performance that moves effortlessly from gentle to raw. The chorus is irresistibly catchy, cementing the track as one of the album’s defining moments.

Even when the album dips in immediacy, Hot Mulligan finds ways to maintain engagement. Tracks like Monster Burger and a $5 Beer provide a calmer, danceable contrast while still delivering anthemic hooks. Guitar and drum interplay on these songs is subtle but effective, giving them a quiet power that rewards repeated listening. Meanwhile, Slumdog Scungillionaire introduces a slightly darker, more atmospheric tone with its piano intro and whispered guitar textures, showcasing the band’s willingness to experiment with mood and texture while retaining their melodic sensibilities.

The album closes with My Dad Told Me to Write a Nice One for Nana So This Is It, an acoustic track that is tender and straightforward. While it may not serve as a show-stopping finale, its simplicity and sincerity provide a reflective ending, offering a quiet contrast to the more emotionally heavy moments that dominate the record.

One of the album’s most impressive achievements is its emotional honesty. Lyrics throughout the record often feel pointed, almost confrontational, yet they’re balanced by melodies and arrangements that make those moments accessible rather than alienating. The production is similarly thoughtful, allowing the listener to focus on individual elements without losing sight of the whole. There’s a sense of spaciousness in the mix that enhances the emotional resonance, whether it’s the quiet riffs in It Smells Like Fudge Axe in Here or the ambient backing vocals in Island in the Sun.

Ultimately, The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still is a record that proves Hot Mulligan’s continued evolution within the emo genre. It captures the tension between exuberance and introspection, fun and heartbreak, accessibility and complexity. While not every track lands with equal impact, the highs are incredibly high, offering moments that are both cathartic and memorable and the lows are… devastating to the soul. The album is immersive, meticulous, and deeply human.

Hot Mulligan have crafted a record that rewards both casual listeners and devoted fans, a testament to their growth as musicians and songwriters. It’s an album that feels alive, reflective, and unafraid to confront the messy, beautiful contradictions of human emotion. The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still is a record that will linger long after the last track ends, a reminder of why Hot Mulligan remain one of the most vital voices in post-punk emo music today.