Hot Mulligan are back at it again — and this time, they’ve gone bigger, louder, and somehow even weirder. Their fourth album, The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still, is officially out now via Wax Bodega, and it’s every bit the rollercoaster fans were hoping for.
From the very first track, Moving to Bed Bug Island, the record is a frantic, cathartic ride that doesn’t let up. Frontman Tades Sanville sounds like he’s fighting ghosts in a basement one moment, then pouring his heart out over acoustic guitar the next. By the time you hit the closer — with its brilliant, very-on-brand title My Dad Told Me to Write a Nice One for Nana So This Is It — you’ve been dragged through every emotional alleyway Hot Mulligan could possibly throw at you.
If you’ve been following the singles, you’ll already know what you’re in for. And A Big Load sprinted in first, a heroic pop-punk anthem that burns out before you can catch your breath. Then came Island in the Sun featuring Cory Castro of Free Throw, which leaned into raw tour-life energy with a music video packed full of candid footage. But today’s release also comes with a brand-new video for It Smells Like Fudge Axe In Here — a post-emo rager with a groove that feels part Hot Mulligan, part Tokyo Police Club. The Michael Herrick–directed clip is equally unhinged, taking a tense Italian chess match and turning it into a full-scale food fight. Doves, spaghetti, chaos — it’s pure Hot Mulligan.
The album as a whole feels like the band’s most complete work yet. It’s messy, loud, and sharp-edged in all the right ways, but with enough detail — shimmering guitars, subtle synth touches, and vocals that cut deep — to show just how far they’ve come since their house show days. Tracks like Carbon Monoxide Hotel hit with gut-punch breakdowns, while Slumdog Scungillionaire ties the whole thing together in a time-shifting crescendo that might be the most ambitious thing they’ve ever written.
Of course, Hot Mulligan being Hot Mulligan, there’s still that chaotic streak — song titles like Bon Jonah and Monica Lewinskibidi make sure of that. But beneath the nonsense, this album might just be their most vulnerable yet.
And if listening to the record on repeat isn’t enough, you’ll get a chance to scream along in person soon. The band will be joining Pierce the Veil on their UK and EU arena run this September, before heading back to the States for a headline tour. You can grab tickets through the band’s site — and if past shows are anything to go by, you’ll want to be quick.
So whether you’re here for the absurdity, the heartbreak, or both, The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still is proof that Hot Mulligan are still the self-proclaimed “#1 Hot New Band” — and they’re not wrong.
