Over the course of their previous three albums, Philadelphia four-piece Mannequin Pussy have flown gracefully between visceral fury and melodic breaks, but with the opening title track of their fourth, “I Got Heaven.” I have never been so jumping up and down. A step up from their seminal 2019 album Patience (the album that brought Scazy Punk to legions of new fans), their latest offering combines the growl of lead vocalist Maris Dabice with the hypnotic sound of shoegaze. It starts out as a blend, and the balance develops with surprising consistency. The album borders on the quiet indie bliss of “Nothing Like” and the dual-vocal hardcore punk of “OK!” got it! got it! got it! '. Mannequin Pussy has lacked predictability for much of the last decade, and despite the consistency of I Got Heaven, it remains reluctant to commit.
Having guitarist Maxine Steen join the band full-time and meeting in a studio rather than various bedrooms has completely elevated the individual parts. Their brashness feels harsher, their melodies lighter, but the space in between brings to mind images of dive bars and thick smoke at sunset. Like her previous works, Mannequin Pussy is firmly anchored in time and place, with masterful storytelling that exists between lyrics and sound. Their playfulness is fueled by contradiction, and the title track combines its uplifting melody with religious frustration. “I Don't Know You” literally slides the guitar from 70's pop to 90's grunge with palpable joy, while the closer “Split Me Open” sees Malice's take on Britpop's worst punches with gusto. Showing complete resignation, he joyfully declares, “There's nothing.” It'll change. ” this album offers the band's most concise sound yet never takes itself too seriously, capping off an album in which Mannequin She Pussy continues to dominate its own creative world.