I've always had mixed feelings about choosing to listening to records more or less blind, but this was an unbelievably lucky find. I only know Hot Mulligan from one (1) song, their semi-viral I Fell in Love With Princess Peach single, and this album doesn't even sound much too similar to that song, so I'd like to think I simply high-rolled on choosing to listen to this record.
Their modern emo sound, or as they've self-coined Post-Emo, is a tastefully unique take on the midwestern emo and screamo style reminiscent of Tiny Moving Parts but with just a bit more grit. When I first played through the whole record, I immediately found myself deeply intrigued and enjoying the sound that they created.
I think the appeal of it all is a complex blend of multitudes I can't pinpoint, but it's roughly about the blend of pop-punk's catchiness and emo's rawness, all with a subtle but poignant maturity that succeeds where pop-punk and emo's bluntness fails. Every part of the band is super tuned in and cohesive, and their sense of musical direction is unorthodox yet brilliant.
The dual vocal setup gives them a lot of flexibility in the vocal department, and the range of textures they can achieve is what gives the record so much character and passion. The lead vocalist has a particularly cathartic set of vocals that he so effortlessly transitions between, switching from singing to screaming on the drop of a dime, and guitarist contributing vocals adds so much dynamicism to the music.
One of the most surprising things about this record to me is the heaviness of the lyricism. It's so raw and confessional, unapologetically genuine and so candidly human. There was a strangely poetic nature to the lyrics on the record, cemented further by the passionately emotional and evocative delivery from the vocalists. Between the vibrant yet chaotic instrumentation and the relentlessly energetic vocal performances, they achieve a perfect level of accentuated authenticity for optimal modern angst.
Heavy credit should be given to the guitarwork and drumwork behind the record, it's extremely nuanced and does a splendid job at painting a soundscape that resembles a modern take on midwest emo: suspiciously happy-sounding melodies and chord progressions, sparingly reverb-drenched and mildly distorted, lending elements and techniques from math rock and pop-punk, while the drums take on a very essential role in managing dynamics and setting the foundation for the band, in both groove and energy.
I've quickly found a lot of things to love about this record. Between the variety of long nonsensical song titles and the sheer density of hidden vulnerability, Why Would I Watch has quickly become a favourite of 2023. I don't know of any other band that comes close to the sound that they have, and I'm super happy to have decided to listen to this album.
Rating: 10/10