M(H)Aol Something Soft

Something Soft, the second full-length album by Irish post-punk firebrands M(h)aol, is anythingbut. From the first note of its propulsive opening track to the distorted cries of its last,Something Soft feels antagonistic to the very concept of softness, sonically and thematically, takingan unapologetic approach to intersectional feminism, animal welfare, consumerism, and thestruggle to find a place in a world lacking in empathy. What M(h)aol offers is catharsis, in twoforms: the kind you get from being open with others, and the kind you get from righteouslysmashing some shit up.Effectively channeling rage and empathy is an act of resilience, and to make Something Soft,M(h)aol had to become especially resilient. Following their acclaimed debut Attachment Styles,M(h)aol's line-up changed, settling on the core trio of Constance Keane (drums/vocals, she/her), Jamie Hyland (bass/vocals, she/her), and Sean Nolan (guitar, he/him). That processchanged the band's approach to songwriting and performing, resulting in an unexpectedbreakthrough where many groups have folded.Something Soft features a more urgent sound wound tightly around Hyland and Keane's rhythm.On songs like "Pursuit" and "Snare," Keane's vocals lock in on her drums, as if her words werestirred to life by her playing, issued directly from her body. Set against those respectively anxiousand swaggering tracks, her voice occupies the space of an inner monologue narrating a tensewalk home, and green room misogyny from a place of droll observance, a universal experiencerendered in specific detail.Like its predecessors Attachment Styles and the Gender Studies EP, Something Soft was recordedby Jamie Hyland. It is the most technically nimble of M(h)aol's recordings to date, with theband_joined by Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra's Sarah Deegan on bass_decamping to Dublin'sAilfionn Studio where they took advantage of the space and studio equipment to bring morenuance to their sound. The additional sessions and prowess behin...